• Asif says doors for talks always open, assails Imran for seeking dialogue with establishment
• Nawaz sure opposition party’s Nov 24 protest will fail

NAROWAL / LONDON: With PTI gearing up for yet another protest, Defence Minister Khawaja Muha­mmad Asif on Sunday offered to hold talks with the opposition party.

The offer came a day after PML-N President Nawaz Sharif predicted that the opposition party’s Nov 24 rally would fail to disrupt Pakistan’s progress.

During a media talk in Sialkot, Mr Asif said that doors for negotiations with PTI are always open, but unfortunately, Imran Khan does not want to sit with politicians but seeks talks with the establishment.

Assailing the opposition party’s upcoming protest aimed at pressuring the government to release the former premier, he said KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur twice led caravans from Peshawar but on both occasions, the PTI leadership ran away leaving the workers behind.

Everyone in PTI, including Imran Khan, is a hypocrite and liar, he alleged.

Like previous PTI protests, he said, the Nov 24 rally would also fail.

The veteran PML-N leader recalled that every time the PTI leaders mobilised supporters and their children but then left them midway to face humiliation at the hands of law enforcement agencies who took action to maintain law and order.

He noted that Imran Khan’s children were living a comfortable life abroad and wondered why don’t the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi bring their children to lead the protest this time.

As regards cases, the minister pointed out that Nawaz Sharif and the Bhutto family had faced such trials too, adding that an FIR had also been registered against him and his family. All of them fought their legal battles in courts, he added.

Speaking to reporters in London on Saturday before departing for Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif dismissed the PTI’s upcoming rally, expressing the confidence that it would not disrupt Pakistan’s progress.

He was questioned about PTI’s protest call and its potential to hinder the nation’s economic progress.

“I agree with you, but they will fail in their mission,” he remarked.

Accompanied by his daughter and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz along with his grandson Junaid Safdar, the PML-N president also addressed speculation that he would not return to Pakistan.

“I will call those people a liar,” he said in response.

The ex-PM did not miss the opportunity to criticise PTI’s protest plans and repeated his disapproval of Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated.

Nawaz Sharif accused Mr Khan of tarnishing Pakistan’s reputation during his tenure as prime minister.

“What Imran Khan has done during his tenure that people would take to the streets on his call? Tell me a single [development] project that he could proudly present as evidence of development during his tenure,” he questioned.

Addressing Pakistan’s economic situation, Nawaz Sharif expressed optimism about the country’s progress, stating that it had “come out of difficulties and is now on the path of prosperity”.

However, he criticised efforts to obstruct development. He also emphasised the need to hold PTI accountable for its actions, saying, “They have to be held accountable for such practices before giving a ‘call.’”

“I fail to understand the logic behind Khan sahib’s statements. He, along with General Bajwa and Faiz Hameed, left no stone unturned in conspiring against me. If anyone has endured the worst injustices, it is us,” he told the media on Friday.

Nawaz also dismissed Imran Khan’s “final protest” call from prison, questioning its rationale.

“Why would people heed the call of a leader who brought disrepute to the country during his nearly four-year tenure?” he asked.

Highlighting the lack of achievements during PTI’s government, Nawaz said, “Did he construct a motorway, bring major projects, establish power plants, or resolve the energy crisis? His performance is zero.”

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2024