Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned on Friday of a constitutional meltdown in the country sooner or later, saying there were voices suggesting the judiciary might cancel the February 8 general elections.
In an interview, Asif said that a recent report from the international rating agency, Fitch, which predicted a technocrat set-up in Pakistan in case the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government falters, carried weight as many people are ready to join the technocrat setup.
Asif expressed concern over the possibility of election cancellation by the judiciary, saying. If something like this happens, we will take all possible measures in our defence. He added: We will defend every inch of the space we have gained after the elections and will use all available remedies.
Asif warned that there seemed to be a constitutional meltdown looming large. Sooner or later it will happen. At present, nothing is happening under any rule, rather politics has permeated in all institutions, with judiciary being the most politically active, Asif noted.
Asif alleged that the most politically active constitutional institution in the country now was the judiciary. We [politicians] have taken a back seat and do not match the political activism in the judiciary.
When asked about the governments plans to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Asif replied that the announcement was made before time. He said that the governments allies were not consulted on this issue. Consultation with them [allies] is essential. It will be decided with consensus, he added.
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