Khawaja Asif urges PTI to pursue parliamentary politics, dismisses civil disobedience call
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has called on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to engage in parliamentary politics, criticizing its civil disobedience strategy as “doomed to fail.” His remarks come after PTI founder Imran Khan, currently imprisoned, announced a five-member committee to negotiate with the federal government on key demands.
Speaking in Geo News talk show, Asif stated that civil disobedience movements succeed only in situations where citizens are not dependent on the state. “The state is providing all necessary facilities to the people. No one would deprive their family of these,” he argued, claiming such tactics worked during colonial times but are irrelevant in the current context.
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Asif also suggested that the PTI’s protests, including the recent one in Islamabad, have been ineffective. The much-publicized protest ended abruptly following a government crackdown, with PTI alleging 12 of its workers were killed and over 1,000 arrested. The government, however, denied using live ammunition and reported casualties among law enforcement personnel, including the deaths of three Rangers and a policeman.
Imran Khan’s proposed negotiation committee includes Omar Ayub Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja, and Asad Qaiser. The committee’s focus is on two demands: the release of “political prisoners” and the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 violence and the November 26 crackdown on PTI protesters.
On X (formerly Twitter), Khan also announced plans for a “grand gathering” in Peshawar on December 13 to honor those he called “martyrs” of the Islamabad protest. Additionally, he warned of a civil disobedience movement if his demands are not met.
Asif questioned the PTI founder’s readiness for political dialogue, suggesting that Khan has historically preferred engaging with the establishment rather than political parties. He urged the PTI to fulfill its role in parliament instead of resorting to street protests.
In a sharp critique, Asif also took aim at Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, alleging that she lacks political acumen but has a “great understanding of financial matters.” He dismissed her claims of being abandoned during the PTI protest, asserting that a video showed her leaving the venue alone, as other PTI leaders and protesters “ran away.”
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