Khawaja Asif accuses Imran Khan of launching “attacks” on national security

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Khwaja Asif has said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will appoint new Army Chief in November as per the procedure expounded in the constitution.

Addressing a presser at PID in Islamabad on Saturday, the defence minister said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan wanted to make this constitutional appointment controversial without any reason. He said that one day Imran would say one thing and then would utter another thing the very next day.

Lashing out at Imran, the defence minister dubbed him “a national criminal” accusing him of launching “attacks” on national security.

He took a swipe at former prime minster Imran saying that he had tried to block the release of IMF tranche. He claimed that the PTI chief was saying that Pakistan should not be helped out.

“Imran is launching attacks on our national security. He is a national criminal,” Asif said adding that the PTI chief could harm the national interests.

“This man hungry for power can harm Pakistan,” he remarked.

He said Imran could not be seen anywhere during the recent floods. He said that the PTI chief always took U-Turn on things.

On Punjab politics, the defence minister said that Imran would say one thing but Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi would say another thing.

He, however, said that the Shehbaz Sharif-led government was ready to sign an Economic Charter with every party. “The political ego cannot come in the way of serving Pakistan and its people,” he asserted.

He said government was trying to create an atmosphere of political stability in Pakistan.

The defence minister said that the world was willing to help us out. He said the SCO members expressed readiness to support and cooperate with Pakistan faced with the unprecedented floods. 

“At this critical time, we need the help of our neighbor countries and the comity of nations,” he added.

Asif said Prime Minister Shehbaz would visit China in the first week of November on the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jingping.

He said the invitation was extended by the Chinese President to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on the sidelines of SCO meeting.

He held that the CPEC project would be put on track and hoped that its speed would be accelerated. He said that during Prime Minister Shehbaz’s meeting with Chinese President yesterday, different projects launched under the CPEC were discussed.

The defence minister said the Chinese President recognized PM Shehbaz as an efficient and pragmatic leader, and expressed the commitment to vigorously take forward the CPEC project. He said Xi Jinping described Pakistan as an all-weather strategic friend.

He said that the prime minister would leave for Britain on a two-day visit later today to participate in the state funeral of late Queen Elizabeth going to be held on Sept 19. After attending the funeral, the prime minister would leave for New York. 

The defence minister who was also part of the Pakistan delegation which went to attend the SCO summit, informed that during his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz, Russian President Vladimir Putin appreciated Pakistan’s position on Ukraine. He said Russia had shown willingness to export wheat, oil and gas to Pakistan.