PTI wants talks only with establishment: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD:  Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has accused the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, of seeking only talks with the establishment.  

Speaking during the ARY News program Khabar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that if PTI genuinely wanted negotiations, he was willing to engage despite being a critic of the party.

Defence Minister alleged PTI of pursuing what he described as a dual policy on negotiations. He said that dialogue could move forward if PTI openly stood with the state on national issues and counter-terrorism.

He also suggested that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation for talks appeared to have received a lukewarm response from PTI, calling it a non-starter. “The PTI founder only wants to talk to the establishment,” he added, reiterating his claim that PTI’s approach lacked consistency.

Replying to a question, Khawaja Asif said that the government would respond when PTI announced a wheel-jam strike.

The defence minister said that recent messages from the military leadership, including the Corps Commanders’ Conference, were broad in nature and not directed at any single political party.