Khawaja Asif questions Imran Khan's commitment to talks, criticises PTI's double standards

Defence minister criticises PTI for ignoring sacrifices of Rangers and police, calling their actions hypocritical

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over its recent offer for negotiations and its conduct regarding various issues. 

In a statement posted on X, Asif accused PTI of providing conflicting information regarding fatalities from the November 24 incident, stating that the party exaggerated the death toll from 12 to 278 without offering any evidence to support these claims.

He further criticised PTI for failing to acknowledge or mention the sacrifices made by Rangers and police personnel. He described PTI's actions as "hypocrisy" and emphasized that double standards and inconsistency have become central to the party's identity and culture.

Reflecting on PTI's stance on negotiations, Asif pointed out that only a few days ago, the party considered talks with the establishment acceptable, while dismissing negotiations with the government as "forbidden." He referred to this as a sign of the changing political climate.

On the issue of ongoing talks, he questioned the reliability of PTI founder Imran Khan, stating that while negotiations are important, it remains unclear who could guarantee Khan's commitment to any agreements, as his stance is known to change frequently.

In a nostalgic reflection, Asif also mentioned a time when General Qamar Javed Bajwa and General Faiz Hameed were seen as "guarantors" of PTI’s actions, a period he described as one where the relationship between the party and military was particularly strong.