Defence Minister rules out dialogue with PTI, targets founder’s politics
- By Asim Mallick -
- Jan 05, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has strongly opposed any dialogue with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), directly targeting the party’s founder, Imran Khan, accusing him of having no agenda beyond personal interest and power.
Speaking on the ARY News programme, Aitraz Hai, Khawaja Asif said the idea of talks among “five senior leaders” requires honesty and clarity, which he believes PTI lacks. He claimed the PTI founder, Imran Khan, thinks only about himself, starts from his own interests and ends there, leaving no space for compromise or reconciliation.
The defence minister said PTI itself is deeply divided, with some leaders calling for negotiations while others openly talk about confrontation and marching on the federal capital. In such a situation, he questioned how PTI could even be part of any serious dialogue process.
Khawaja Asif said he sees no starting point for talks because, according to him, Imran Khan has no clear agenda for reconciliation or dialogue. He added that no one, not even people close to the PTI founder, is ready to give any guarantee regarding his conduct.
He also criticised PTI’s stance on security issues, saying the party did not stand with the state during the fight against terrorism. He claimed PTI leaders did not visit the families of soldiers who were martyred, and questioned how negotiations were possible when PTI, in his view, does not stand with the blood of martyrs.
Referring to the May 9 incidents, Khawaja Asif said PTI leadership has yet to openly condemn what happened, adding that those who incited violence are still sitting in parliament without offering any apology.
On regional security, he said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s attitude was promoting terrorism rather than fighting it. He added that Afghanistan has repeatedly refused to give guarantees that its soil will not be used for terrorism against Pakistan, despite multiple rounds of talks.
Khawaja Asif warned that unrest and protests weaken the country internally and give enemies an opportunity to exploit the situation, stressing that national unity is critical in the current security environment.