"Negotiations cannot be held at gunpoint," says Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has ruled out negotiations under the current circumstances, stating that repeated calls for civil disobedience and attacks on Islamabad cannot be tolerated.

“Negotiations cannot be held at gunpoint,” Khawaja Asif said while speaking in the National Assembly session held on

Speaking in the National Assembly, Khawaja Asif highlighted the ongoing losses to the country and its people due to political turmoil. Referring to the situation in Parachinar, he stated, “Incidents like these are also contributing factors.”

Khawaja Asif criticized the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s PTI government, saying, “How can such a major incident occur in your province, and you remain inactive? I was told by Mahmood Khan that the issue in Parachinar started as a land dispute, but it escalated into sectarian violence, resulting in significant loss of lives.”

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The defense minister said that maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the provincial government, as per the Constitution. “While Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government remained fixated on Islamabad, they ignored Parachinar,” he remarked.

Addressing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership, Khawaja Asif stated, “You have every right to protest in Islamabad, but kindly also pay attention to your province.”

On the tone of political discourse, he urged for moderation: “If you speak positively, I will respond positively. Hostility only invites hostility.”

Asif stressed that issues can only be resolved through love and mutual respect, not through threats and bitterness.