Khawaja Asif: Shape of 27th Constitutional Amendment to emerge next week

ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that the shape of the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment would become clearer by next week, while confirming that Pakistan-Afghanistan talks will begin tomorrow, ARY News reported.

Speaking to journalists outside Parliament, the minister said it was premature to comment on the ongoing discussions regarding the 27th Constitutional Amendment. “Objections have been raised, and it would not be appropriate for me to comment at this stage,” he stated.

Khawaja Asif added that after consultations with all political parties, a final draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment would be shared publicly. “It is Bilawal Bhutto’s right to express his views,” he noted in response to a question about the PPP chairman’s remarks.

Regarding the upcoming talks with Afghanistan, the defense minister said the Pakistani delegation has departed and negotiations are set to start tomorrow. “We only engage when there is a possibility of progress — otherwise, it’s a waste of time,” he remarked.

Khawaja Asif expressed hope that Afghanistan would act wisely for the sake of regional peace and stability.

Khawaja Asif Rejects Afghan Claim Labeling TTP Militants as Refugees

Earlier, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had strongly rejected claims made by an Afghan delegation that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants living in Afghanistan are actually Pakistani refugees returning home.

In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the defence minister questioned the logic behind the Afghan delegation’s explanation, calling it “evidence of ill intent.”

“The Afghan delegation says TTP terrorists residing in Afghanistan are Pakistani refugees returning home. How are they refugees when they are returning heavily armed with destructive weapons?” Asif wrote.

He further asked how such individuals could be considered refugees when they were not “traveling home by road, buses, trucks, or vehicles,” but instead “sneaking into Pakistan like thieves through mountainous and difficult routes.”

Calling the Afghan argument “flawed and deceptive,” Khawaja Asif said the claim itself exposed the true intentions behind Kabul’s stance on terrorism.

The minister’s remarks came amid renewed tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over cross-border militancy, with Islamabad urging Kabul to act against TTP militants using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan.