Lahore: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Javed Latif stated that adhering to external commands at the expense of constitutional and legal principles would amount to servitude. He expressed these views during an interview with ARY News.
Latif highlighted the influence of financial institutions wielded by global powers, emphasizing their impact on weaker nations. “If these powers align behind an individual, we must question their motives. First, we need to ascertain if we are truly free. If we are independent, how can anyone dictate terms to us? Economic vulnerability allows powerful countries to exert influence, but we are not slaves; we are free. This is a test for the state,” he asserted.
Addressing external interference, Latif said, “If someone orders the release or arrest of a particular individual, and we comply by ignoring the Constitution and law, it makes us their slaves. Our economic weakness is exploited through financial institutions under their control.”
He accused the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of seeking foreign intervention for personal gain. “The PTI chief is begging for his release from those nations, acting as their subordinate. Sanctions are being imposed to support one man. This is just the beginning; such powers do not act out of affection but pursue their own interests,” Latif added.
The PML-N leader criticized the use of lobbying firms against the state, stating, “Powerful lobbying firms have been hired to campaign against Pakistan. Has this ever happened before? Foreign funding is now being used for these purposes. If we capitulate, we lose everything. However, if we stand firm like a nuclear power, no force in the world can dictate terms to us.”
Latif urged self-reliance and preparation for potential external pressures. “In the days to come, if any orders are issued, we must first stand on our own feet. Just as Pakistan became a nuclear power, the nation must be taken into confidence on this matter. No Pakistani can imagine accepting orders that compromise our sovereignty,” he concluded.
