Defense Minister Khawaja Asif clarified on Monday that the government will start talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) only after a “clear message” from former ruling party founder Imran Khan.
Talking to Geo NewsThe Defense Minister said: “The current PTI leadership has nothing in hand. [to take decisions]”
The PTI founder warned the government earlier this month that he would launch a “civil disobedience” movement if his demands, including a judicial inquiry into a crackdown on party supporters, were not met. He also formed a negotiation committee to negotiate with the government.
Questioning the viability of talks with the PTI, the minister said the party’s current leadership was not on the same page, adding that the conflict was due to differences in the party’s ranks. All of them are giving statements against each other.
Stressing the need for a “clear message” from the jailed PTI founder to allow party members to interact with the government, the minister said: “All those [PTI leaders] Take instructions from the founder of PTI.
The founder of PTI should ask the present government that he wanted to negotiate with the government.
Talking about other issues, the minister said that Pakistan is a sovereign country and has good relations with America.
“The United States provides support to many of our financial institutions from time to time,” he added.
The minister asked: “Could we have saved the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program if the US was angry with us?
In September, the IMF’s Executive Board approved a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Pakistan, with the first tranche of $1.1 billion.
Responding to another question, Asif said: “We have only one problem with Afghanistan – the land should not be used. [banned] Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The TTP has reportedly been using Afghan soil for cross-border attacks inside Pakistan since the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021.
Since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces, Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorist attacks on security forces and civilians, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
According to a report by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the third quarter (July-September) of 2024 saw a sharp increase in the number of deaths from terrorist violence and counter-terrorism operations, with a 90 percent increase in violence. happened
A total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel and illegals, while 615 others were injured in 328 cases assessed.