Imran Khan heading gradually to complete failure: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has lambasted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over its decision to withdraw resignations from National Assembly (NA), saying that former premier Imran Khan was heading gradually towards a complete political failure, ARY News reported on Monday.

“Imran Khan is gradually heading towards a complete political failure as all his decisions were proving wrong and miscalculated,” the Defence Minister said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

Khawaja Asif noted that Mohsin Raza Naqvi for his appointment as caretaker Punjab chief minister (CM), hoping that under his leadership free and fair elections would be held in the province.

He also welcomed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s decision being taken as per law and said that the entire process was done according to the constitution.

The minister clarified that the nominees presented by PTI and others did not have good exercise as one the nominee a serving government employee and the other was a dual national. “Their vetting was not good for these nominees. So that’s why they had to face humiliation in this case,” he added.

Moreover, the government’s nominees had one ex-civil servant and one media personality, he said, adding: “PTI also gave the name of another honourable bureaucrat who himself apologised to take the task. Hence the PTI’s objection on Naqvi’s appointment is a fake cry.”

all the legal and constitutional obligations will be fulfilled as regards to the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). “We have started preparations for these elections and a parliamentary board is also being constituted,” he added.

Responding to a question, Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan was in contact with Afghanistan and Iran so that the territories of the three countries could not be used against each other by the terrorist groups.

In response to another question, the Defence Minister said Pakistan has the safest nuclear program and the country has the capability to protect it. “We will continue to meet the international obligations,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that as many as 44 Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) MNAs have decided to withdraw their resignations

PTI Secretary General Asad Umar – on Twitter – said the PTI has been demanding the NA speaker to accept all the resignations in one go but Raja Ashraf remained reluctant to do the same as he announced to approve the resignations one by one after meeting with the lawmakers.