Lahore – Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) comments about U.S. congressional hearings are not true and that they are just made up for drama. He told reporters at a press meeting in Sialkot that relations between Pakistan and the US are safe and there is no threat to them.
Khawaja Asif talked about the upcoming court hearing in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. He said that the PTI government wasted money sent to Pakistan by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). “A deal was made behind closed doors, and in exchange, land was given to build Al-Qadir Trust, a university whose legitimacy is questionable.” He asked the media to look into these facts and said he hoped the court would give a fair ruling.
The minister said that the PTI was being dishonest because its leaders had turned down U.S. help in the past but are now asking for help from the same country. He said that even people who are part of the PTI are against giving the party’s founder favors based on what their leader Aleema Khan said. Asif said, “Billions of dollars have been spent on lawyers, and their leaders are trying to use this for political gain.”
He also said that the father of the PTI had agreed to a deal at Sangjani at first but then later followed Bushra Bibi’s advice to take the case to D-Chowk. “Their actions have always been contradictory, from the claim of ’35 punctures’ to their current rhetoric, none of which has been backed up by evidence,” Asif said.
Speaking out as the defense minister did has once again brought to light the PTI’s legal and political problems and emphasized the government’s commitment to maintaining responsibility and openness.
