Ministers back DG ISPR's broadside

Asif, Iqbal accuse PTI founder Imran Khan of undermining institutions

ISLAMABAD/SIALKOT:

As the PTI scrambled to defend itself after a broadside from the military's spokesperson, the government seized the moment on Saturday to tear into the embattled party, rallying behind the DG ISPR and using the uproar as fresh ammunition against the incarcerated former premier Imran Khan.

Speaking to reporters in Sialkot, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recalled that Imran himself had long relied on ridicule and abuse against political rivals and had little ground to object to the ISPR's remarks.

He pointed out that the PTI's outrage at the DG ISPR's assessment rang hollow, recalling the PTI's history of inflammatory rhetoric and its refusal to acknowledge the sacrifices of the armed forces.

"When they were in power, I remember, he (Imran) would engage in theatrics and sometimes don a dupatta to mimic leaders… He would also use derogatory language for women," Asif said, adding that the incarcerated leader "continues to do the same" through posts on X.

He described the DG ISPR's remarks as "a guarded reaction".

For his part, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal also threw his weight behind the military's spokesperson, arguing that the DG ISPR had been "soft" and that anyone targeting state institutions should expect a "strict" response.

The defence minister, in his Sialkot talk, argued that the PTI's political posture amounted to an "anti-state" narrative, one that failed to recognise the cost paid by soldiers fighting terrorism.

"I have attended the funerals of many martyrs... I have never seen someone from the PTI there," he said, adding that the party must "speak in favour of martyrs and not terrorists". He warned PTI leaders not to seek dialogue with militant groups or soften their stance toward them. "When you continue to adopt such an approach, this is exactly the kind of language that will be used against you."

"Do your politics, hold protests, but do not threaten the sovereignty and honour of Pakistan."

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, speaking separately, backed the military even more forcefully. He said the armed forces were "sacrificing in the fight against terrorism" and that if he were in the DG ISPR's place, he "would have used even stronger words".

Iqbal noted that he had himself spent time in jail on a "false case", but he never criticised Pakistan abroad. "Pakistan is one family. We do not take our disputes outside the home," he said, urging all sides to act responsibly.

He warned that anyone attacking state institutions should expect a "strict" reaction and emphasised terrorism as the "biggest challenge" for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, expressing hope that its provincial government would fulfil its constitutional duty to restore peace.