Federal Minister for Defense Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that Imran Khan alone was the mastermind, planner, and inventor of the May 9 incident. He expressed regret that it was former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman who challenged the state writ and the state institutions while speaking at a dinner reception given in his honor by members of Cantt Board Sialkot. He claimed that although the state serves as a mother to its people, this individual broke that bond out of a desire for power. He claimed that the advice he gave to his party’s members and the preparation he made led to attacks on martyrs’ monuments, military outposts, and defense assets. He claimed that political workers were encouraged to attack the government and its institutions by their leader.
Kh Asif said what happened on May 9, no one should doubt that its mastermind, planner and its creator was the PTI chairman alone. He said that during the last 14 months, this person (Imran Khan) did not even once ask to meet or sit down with politicians to solve the national problems. He only expressed his desire to talk to the military leadership.
The defence minister said Pakistan Army is the guarantor of country’s defence and integrity. He said that power was taken away from politicians many times in the past; power was taken away from Nawaz Sharif three times, while Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged, but no one challenged the state writ. Rather, they waited for elections for years and came to power with the power of vote, he added.
Kh Asif said this person (Imran Khan) did not speak a single truth before power, during power and after getting power. He said that today, the whole of Pakistan was paying the price of this person’s wrong decisions.
If this person had not resigned from the assemblies, and not dissolved the KP and Punjab Assemblies, neither he nor his party would have confronted the current challenges. He said “we are thankful to Allah for honoring us and giving us the government for the last 14 months.
“We are trying to fix the economic and moral ruins that we inherited,” he added.
Meanwhile, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Sunday urged the House not to support the Chairman Senate Salaries, Allowance and Privileges Bill passed by the Senate recently as the country could not afford such incentives in the prevailing economic situation.
Speaking in the National Assembly after passage of federal budget for fiscal year 2023-24, the minister said, he has great respect for senators and the Senate as he had started his political career from the Senate. However, the people and business community are in immense difficulties due to the prevailing financial crisis, he said.
He said the salary of MNA stood at Rs 168,000 per month which was lower than a federal secretary.
He said such privilege in the current financial circumstance could not be afforded. Lauding the Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and his entire finance teams, he said that a balanced budget was presented despite of critical situation.
He expressed the hope that a new era of economic stability would start soon.
The minister also clarified that neither the government was bearing expenditure nor giving any special facility for members of the National Assembly for performing Hajj. Even ordinary people were also part of the special flight to carry pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, he added.
