Re-election prospects were emphatically denied by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday, claiming that the country is on a road of slow recovery and that any desire for fast political reform is impossible.
Asif criticized former Prime Minister Imran Khan for squandering national resources, saying recovery would take time and not be completed in a few months. He insisted that re-election prospects would not expedite this recovery.
Acknowledging worries about growing inflation, Asif recognized the country’s economic woes but expressed optimism that government actions will finally result in progress. Despite inflation following the last budget, he noted that re-election prospects would not contribute to immediate financial stability.
“The condition of the nation is progressively boosting,” he said. He noted that while inflation has risen following the last budget, the present administration’s actions are likely to stabilize the financial situation in the coming months. Re-election prospects, according to him, would only hinder this process.
The minister of defense also launched a stinging assessment of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), claiming that the party had affinities for terrorists and the Taliban. He accused the PTI of aiming to undermine the military leadership. He framed the party’s recent comments as part of a larger scheme to destabilize the nation, insisting that re-election prospects are a diversionary tactic.
Asif also slammed the food strike protests, calling them “drama,” and accusing supporters of staging their demonstrations after a big dinner. He informed that the Election Commission continues to work on specific electoral constituencies, allaying concerns about a potential electoral delay. Asif emphasized that the PTI is using re-election prospects to create unnecessary unrest. Asif criticized Imran Khan for wasting resources, noting that recovery will take time.
He claimed that the PTI’s mixed messages were part of a larger strategy to prevent the country from achieving economic and political stability. He also suggested that re-election prospects would hinder the current recovery efforts. supernews
Iqra Khan