ISLADMABAD, OCT 31: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticised the practice of political victimisation, saying governments often arrest people first and decide later what charges to bring against them.
“Civilian governments, when they want to arrest someone, first arrest them and then think about what charge to bring,” he said while speaking to reporters in Sialkot on Saturday.
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His remarks come amid continued tensions between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which has repeatedly accused the federal government of political victimisation, citing the imprisonment of its founder, Imran Khan, and several other party leaders.
The opposition has also criticised the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11, which rendered the PTI-led provincial government non-functional.
Dysfunctional chief minister Sohail Afridi and several members of his cabinet were taken into ‘preventive custody’ following the federal government’s move.
The Imran Khan-founded party condemned the detentions as politically motivated, while the federal government maintained that the measures were necessary to address the province’s worsening security situation and counter terrorism.
Asif recalls imprisonment
Recalling his own political struggles, the defence czar said he had been imprisoned four times, including at Attock Fort during former military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s era.
Asif said he spent six months in the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) custody during the PTI government’s tenure in 2020, adding that those who detained him could not even explain the charges against him.
The federal minister further said he had repeatedly asked anti-graft watchdog officials what allegations had been levelled against him, adding that political victimisation is never in the country’s interest.
He said he entered politics in 1991 and had been serving the country for 36 years, during which he witnessed numerous ups and downs.
The minister also said he sometimes felt tired but remained committed to serving Sialkot, calling the city his identity and the welfare of its people his responsibility.
Exchange with Fazl
Khawaja Asif also alluded to his recent exchange with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, saying he had urged him in the National Assembly to revisit his political narrative.
The minister added that he had met the JUI-F chief in the National Assembly two days back and felt that Fazlur Rehman still had the energy to remain politically active.
Pakistan’s diplomatic role
Turning to foreign affairs, the defence minister said Pakistan is playing a historic role in efforts to resolve the Iran-US conflict and address differences between Iran and its Arab neighbours.
He said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts under Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s leadership are continuing, adding that the country has attained an international standing of which its people could be proud.
Asif said he had represented Pakistan at the defence agreements signed in Makkah and Doha.
Pakistan, he went on to say, has shown the Islamic world that overseas military bases could not necessarily guarantee the security of host countries, arguing that such facilities served the interests of the powers operating them and were intended to protect Israel.
The minister also said Pakistan had defeated an enemy five times its size during the latest conflict with India.
He said previous wars had left some ambiguity over their outcomes, but there was no such uncertainty this time, as India and its military had acknowledged the outcome.
Asif also highlighted the armed forces’ prolonged fight against terrorism, saying they had continued to make sacrifices in defence of the country.
Youth and education
The defence minister described young people as Pakistan’s valuable asset, saying educated and skilled youth could play an important role in national development.
He said the education sector had evolved over time but remarked that politicians were generally reluctant to take charge of the education ministry because they saw little political benefit in it.
