Imran offered extension to COAS: Asif

Minister offers forensic audit of PTI chief’s audio leaks

SIALKOT:

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday claimed that PTI chief Imran Khan, along with President Alvi, had held a meeting with the army chief to offer his “support” for the latter’s extension till March or April against an assurance of getting general elections held till then.

Interestingly, Asif, whose ministry falls under the armed forces, cited a column published in an Urdu daily to substantiate his claims about the alleged meeting.

Addressing a press conference in Sialkot, which was primarily aimed at bashing the former prime minister against the backdrop of the back-to-back audio leaks, Khawaja Asif said that even the alleged pitch to the COAS for an extension was a self-seeking manoeuvre.

However, he stressed that matters concerning the armed forces should be safeguarded against political wheeling and dealing and discussions.

“Our soldiers continue to guard the country with their lives,” he said, referring to the militancy that has resurged in the country in the last few months.

He also slammed the PTI-led K-P government for its "hands-off approach" in the wake of rising militancy in the province, alleging that the provincial government was absent from the scene leaving it entirely to the armed forces to tackle the militancy.

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“Instead of honouring their sacrifice, Imran Khan ridicules our forces in various ways during his public addresses; sometimes by defining the word ‘neutrals’ as an epithet synonymous with being an animal and at others, using a euphemism to call them traitors.”

Talking about the two audio leaks that seemed to have come as a windfall for the PML-N at a time when the party needed it the most, Asif went on to say that Imran Khan has invested energies building two narratives during the course of the past eight years.

“First was the narrative of providing ten million jobs, five million houses converting PM House into a university and so forth, and second was of real independence and imported government.”

“It was his (Imran’s) own performance that brought down his first narrative but by the grace of Almighty, within a short span of time, these audio leaks have dismantled Imran's faux narrative.”

He said that the audio leaks have laid bare the real face of Imran Khan before the people and added one never knows how many more leaks are yet to come to the fore.

"Imran Khan said that those who sell their votes are doing idolatry, so what does he think of himself after the audio leaks. Does he now think of himself as an idolater,” he asked.

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Asked that Imran Khan terms these audio leaks fabricated, the minister said that the PTI chief should get these audios forensically examined from wherever he wished.

The defence minister also stated that the government was ready to conduct a forensic audit of leaked audio leaks if the former premier requested it. “All he has to do is lodge a petition and we will get a forensic audit for international firms conducted as soon as the court takes a decision,” he said.

Asif, citing an anecdote of interaction with Pervaiz Elahi, said that Elahi had come to him with an objection that despite being an ally of the PTI government, the NAB was being asked to move against Monis Elahi (his son).

The defence minister also said that he was not afraid of getting arrested by the Punjab government. “I will not approach the court on a daily basis to request bail if I am arrested,” he said, adding that PTI wanted to indict him under Article 6 of the Constitution when it held power in the centre.

He said Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah faced tyranny “with aplomb”, adding, “We will not even move to courts for bail”.

He said that they had supported the concept of drafting a charter of the economy in the past and will support it in the future.

He added that businessmen and even media houses, which too were using journalism as a front, could be brought on board if all stakeholders agree to draft a shared policy for the economy.