Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticised political victimisation, saying governments often detain people first and only later work out what offences to allege. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Sialkot on Saturday.
His comments come amid continuing friction between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the main opposition, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The PTI has repeatedly accused the federal government of victimising its members, pointing to the imprisonment of its founder, Imran Khan, and several other party leaders.
Emergency and detentions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The opposition has also objected to the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11. The move left the PTI-led provincial government unable to function. Chief minister Sohail Afridi and several members of his cabinet were placed in preventive custody after the federal government acted.
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The PTI condemned the detentions as politically motivated. The federal government, for its part, said the measures were needed to deal with the province’s deteriorating security situation and to counter terrorism.
Asif recalls his own imprisonment and political career
Asif said he had been jailed four times in his career, including at Attock Fort during the era of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. He also said he spent six months in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) while the PTI was in government in 2020. In his account, the people who held him could not explain the charges against him.
The minister said he had repeatedly asked anti-graft officials which allegations were being levelled against him. He argued that political victimisation never serves the country’s interests. Asif said he entered politics in 1991 and had been serving the country for 36 years, a period marked by many ups and downs.
He acknowledged that he sometimes felt exhausted but said he remained committed to Sialkot. He described the city as central to his identity and said the welfare of its people was his responsibility.
Asif also referred to his recent exchange with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). He said he had urged Fazlur Rehman in the National Assembly to revisit his political narrative. According to Asif, he met the JUI-F chief in the National Assembly two days earlier and judged that Fazlur Rehman still had the energy to stay politically active.
Pakistan’s regional diplomacy and the armed forces
Turning to foreign affairs, Asif said Pakistan is playing a historic role in efforts to resolve the Iran-US conflict and to narrow differences between Iran and its Arab neighbours. He said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts under Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, who serves as Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, are continuing. He added that the country has earned an international standing of which its people could be proud.
Asif said he had represented Pakistan at defence agreements signed in Makkah and Doha. He argued that Pakistan has shown the Muslim world that overseas military bases do not necessarily guarantee the security of host countries. In his view, such facilities serve the interests of the powers that operate them and are meant to protect Israel.
The minister also claimed that Pakistan had defeated an enemy five times its size during the latest conflict with India. He said earlier wars had left some uncertainty over their outcomes, but that India and its military had acknowledged the result this time. Asif further highlighted the armed forces’ long fight against terrorism, saying they had continued to make sacrifices to defend the country.
Describing young people as a valuable asset, Asif said educated and skilled youth could play a major role in national development. He said the education sector had changed over time, but observed that politicians were generally reluctant to take charge of the education ministry because they saw little political gain in it.
