Khawaja Asif asks Miftah Ismail to table ‘reservations’ at party forum

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Friday advised former finance minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail to table his reservations at the party forum, ARY News reported.

Speaking to a private news channel, the defence minister advised Miftah Ismail – who has been criticising the incumbent government’s economic policies – to table his reservations at the party forum

Reacting to his recent statements, Khawaja Asif said: “Miftah criticises the party on a daily basis.” He noted that good and bad times come on the political parties but leaders should stand with the party.

In response to a question, he said that the government cannot surrender against some demands made by International Monetary Fund (IMF). “The lender had objected to current and previous budget”, he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that Dar replaced Miftah in September last year. Since being replaced by his party colleague, Miftah has been criticising the incumbent government’s economic policies.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif slammed ‘some people’ for consistently criticising finance minister Ishaq Dar and asked them to leave the PML-N.

Shehbaz Sharif was addressing the PML-N general council’s session in Islamabad after the intra-party elections in which all the central office-bearers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), including its President Shehbaz Sharif, have been “re-elected” for another four-year term without having any contest.

Shehbaz Sharif said, “People criticising Ishaq Dar have no right to be in the party.”

READ: Ishaq Dar says won’t comment on Miftah Ismail’s remarks

Sharif claimed that the government provided relief to the poor people in the budget despite facing a severe financial crisis. “I am promising that we will come out of the difficult situation soon and Pakistan will be put on the development path again.”