Sialkot (NNI) – Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has criticized Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for its contradictory stance, oscillating between calls for civil disobedience and dialogue, stating that no meaningful negotiations can take place in the current environment created by PTI.

In an interview, Asif clarified that there are no ongoing negotiations with PTI to his knowledge, and the talk of dialogue is emanating solely from PTI, not the government. “Statements about negotiations are coming from PTI’s side, while no such statement has been issued by the government,” he said.

Referring to PTI’s leadership, Asif noted inconsistencies in their messaging. “There are statements from PTI’s founder in jail, different remarks from his sisters in Lahore, and separate comments from Bushra Bibi in KP. Their narratives lack coherence,” he remarked.

Asif described the political situation in the country as stable and emphasized that disagreements between political parties are normal in a democratic setup. “Parties have their own targets and issue statements in pursuit of their goals,” he added.

Addressing the Greece boat tragedy, the defense minister called it a stark failure of the system and stressed that resolving such issues should be a top priority. “Families sell their properties to send their children abroad, only to receive their bodies or hear of them languishing in jails months later,” he lamented.

Asif further alleged that the entire system, including human traffickers and authorities, is complicit in these crimes. “The money traffickers collect from these families is shared all the way up. Even those tasked with stopping this menace are compromised,” he claimed.

Vowing to raise the issue at every forum, including the Parliament, Asif stressed the need for systemic reform to prevent such tragedies in the future.