Khawaja Asif rules out military intervention

Defence minister says govt still has four years to go and an agenda to complete


Web Desk August 13, 2014

NEW YORK: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has dismissed the possibility of a military intervention in light of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ‘Azadi’ march and Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s ‘Inqilabi’ march to the federal capital on August 14 to overthrow the incumbent government.

The defence minister said that the government and military have complete consensus and agreement on foreign policy and he does not "see any possibility of a military intervention".

In an interview with Bloomberg News, an American business news service, Asif said that the government's relations with the military were "cordial and fine".

"We still have four years to go," Asif said, adding "we have an agenda to complete".

The KSE 100 Index (KSE100) up 12 per cent this year, rose 0.8 per cent on Tuesday after its biggest retreat in five years a day earlier, the minsiter said.

Further, Oil & Gas Development Co, the biggest company by value, rose the most in three weeks after its steepest drop in three years yesterday.

Last night, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his address to the nation requested the Supreme Court chief justice to form a three-member commission to probe Imran’s rigging allegations. However, the PTI chief rejecting the PM’s offer said that the commission would only be accepted after the PM resigns.

Further, Shaikh Mutahir Ahmed, chairman of the international relations department at the University of Karachi, told Bloomberg News by phone, "Imran Khan is getting desperate" adding that "he wants to create a fuss and get a chance to rule, but this won't be possible".

COMMENTS (12)

Malveros | 9 years ago | Reply

The Govt and the Army are on the same page. No fake Revolution coming. Only a drama will be staged.

Dominic | 9 years ago | Reply

The Army is not relative to any Ministers, when there is a Coup the decision are made on the law and order situation of the country and does not tell the Law Ministers that a Marshal Law is going to be imposed. In present scenario the Army has already sidelined this outdated Baba Khawaja Asif due to his bad mouth against the Army previously.

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