Analysts slam Khawaja Asif's India-related statement at Asia Society

Analysts have slammed Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for saying that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif staked his political career for stabilizing relations with India.

Speaking at Asia Society in New York, Asif had said that Nawaz Sharif pursued this objective with sincerity despite being called “Modi’s friend” and a “traitor” by political opponents in the country.

“Even today he (Nawaz Sharif) thinks that friendship will India will bring dividends to both the countries and it can bring lasting peace to the subcontinent. We are people from the same stock, partition in 1947 created two new countries,” said Khawaja Asif.

Analysts in ARY News’ popular talk show ‘The Reporters’ slammed the minister for using such language for a hostile neighbour whose governing party (BJP) took credit for disintegrating Pakistan.

“None in Pakistan wants war with Pakistan, everyone wants peace with India but not at the cost of our national pride. They want friendship with Modi government which accepted that it created Mukti Bahini and Bangladesh, they have relations with Taliban, not only in Kashmir but civilians are also being killed by Indian forces’ on our borders,” said Sabir Shakir, ARY News’ Islamabad Bureau Chief.

Sabir Shakir said that Khawaja Asif has proven himself the foreign minister of Sharif family not Pakistan with this statement.

ARY News Lahore Bureau Chief Arif Hameed Bhatti on the other hand said that he is not surprised as their (PML-N) whole “lobbying is based upon the narrative that we are ready to fall in India’s lap but army wants to save Pakistan’s honour”.