Asif suggests putting aside political differences, uniting for the nation

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stressed the need for national unity, urging political parties to put aside their differences and work collectively for the betterment of the country.

“Political differences may remain but everyone must unite for the nation,” he said while talking to the media in Sialkot.

He criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), saying the government had offered the party to negotiate but claimed it only wanted to meet the organisation. “The PTI founder has a lot of trust in the establishment. He also came close to (former army chief) General (retd) Bajwa,” Asif added.

He also mentioned that when PTI founder Imran Khan’s wife reached a safe place during the party’s protest, her container was set on fire. “There may have been evidence of police infiltration,” he claimed.

The minister condemned the politicization of journalism, saying that journalists should not serve as tools for political parties. Referring to the suspicious cases involving journalists after the PTI protest, he said, “A journalist should not represent any political party. They were there that day as a political worker.”

He also claimed that certain statements that journalists made about journalist Matiullah Jan are indescribable. “If Rana Thanaullah has given any statement regarding the FIR against Matiullah Jan, he should be investigated and dismissed. When he was arrested, he was present at the place where the crimes took place.”

Asif assured that internet access restrictions and VPN blocking will be lifted in a few days.

He further referred to PTI’s recent protest march in Islamabad as “May 9 2.0″, vowing that there would be no attacks now. “The people of (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) are our brothers. It is the duty of every citizen to deal with evil-doers.”

Talking about the speculations about the alleged deaths during the PTI protest, the minister mocked that the PTI leaders reduced the death toll to a single digit after creating propaganda about thousands. These people should come up with a figure after consultation with each other so that the alleged bodies can be found,” he remarked.

Asif noted that PTI leader Latif Khosa quoted 278 as the death toll but each leader gives a different number. “To date, no video footage of the funeral has been made public. There is no evidence to show that people were killed at D-Chowk,” he claimed. He also alleged that during a recent party meeting, Bushra Bibi abused workers and senior leaders.

Highlighting the security issues, Khawaja Asif expressed concern over Taliban attacks in Parachinar and claimed that terrorists are crossing the border from Afghanistan. He criticized the provincial government for its inaction, saying, “Instead of addressing the situation in Parachinar, the provincial chief has reached Islamabad.”

He praised the country’s defense forces for their role in countering the threats, noting that they “played a key role in saving us from disaster.”

Achievements in Aviation

Discussing the recent lifting of the ban on Pakistani airlines by Europe, Asif lauded PIA’s efforts to regain permits for flights to the European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom, which he said were suspended during the PTI regime. He called it a “significant achievement” and congratulated the aviation team for overcoming the challenges of re-entering international markets.

The minister also highlighted the competition in the aviation sector, with PIA holding a 30% share of air traffic, while foreign airlines dominate the rest.