No possibility of military intervention: Khawaja Asif

Published August 13, 2014
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. — File photo
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. — File photo

NEW YORK: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that the government’s relations with the military were “cordial and fine” and he did not see “any possibility of a military intervention”.

The defence minister was speaking in an interview to New York-based business news service Bloomberg.

Asif further said that the government and the military were in complete consensus and agreement on the country's foreign policy.

“We still have four years to go,” Asif told the news service, adding that Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) had “a legislative agenda to complete.”

The news service interviewed the federal minister after the KSE 100 Index (KSE100), up 12 per cent this year, rose 0.8 pe rcent Tuesday after its biggest retreat in five years a day earlier.

The government is currently embroiled in the prevailing political crisis surrounding the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) 'Azadi March'. Late on Tuesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accepted a demand of Imran Khan and requested that the Supreme Court announce a commission to investigate PTI’s allegations about rigging in the May 2013 general elections.

Imran has however spurned the prime minister’s offer to form the commission and has asserted that “no probe is acceptable” without Nawaz Sharif’s resignation.

Opinion

Editorial

Islamabad march
Updated 27 Nov, 2024

Islamabad march

WITH emotions running high, chaos closes in. As these words were being written, rumours and speculation were all...
Policing the internet
27 Nov, 2024

Policing the internet

IT is chilling to witness how Pakistan — a nation that embraced the freedoms of modern democracy, and the tech ...
Correcting sports priorities
27 Nov, 2024

Correcting sports priorities

IT has been a lingering battle that has cast a shadow over sports in Pakistan: who are the national sports...
Kurram ceasefire
Updated 26 Nov, 2024

Kurram ceasefire

DESPITE efforts by the KP government to bring about a ceasefire in Kurram tribal district, the bloodletting has...
Hollow victory
26 Nov, 2024

Hollow victory

THE conclusion of COP29 in Baku has left developing nations — struggling with the mounting costs of climate...
Infrastructure schemes
26 Nov, 2024

Infrastructure schemes

THE government’s decision to finance priority PSDP schemes on a three-year rolling basis is a significant step...