3 hours ago
3
ARTICLE AD BOX
Pakistan defence curate Khawaja Asif
NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s defence curate Khawaja Asif was near visibly flustered during an interrogation with writer Mehdi Hasan aft being caught successful a contradiction implicit his claims astir erstwhile premier curate Imran Khan’s societal media activity.In the exchange, Asif archetypal insisted that Khan was personally operating his Twitter account from wrong Adiala Jail, wherever helium has been imprisoned since August 2023. But erstwhile Hasan pressed him connected earlier remarks suggesting that the relationship was controlled from India, the curate struggled to support himself.“He is operating a Twitter relationship from the jailhouse cell,” Asif initially said. Hasan interjected: “You said helium was operating from India the different day... You said India is controlling his Twitter account... You conscionable made 2 antithetic allegations. Is it Imran successful his situation compartment oregon is it India?”
Defence minister, appearing unsettled, responded: “Either helium is operating from the compartment oregon helium should astatine slightest place who is operating the jailhouse cell.”
He went connected to mention “intelligence sources” arsenic the ground for his claims but refused to connection immoderate evidence. “The grounds I cannot publically disclose,” Asif said. When Hasan asked wherefore helium would marque specified an allegation without proof, Asif replied bluntly: “No, due to the fact that it is there.” Pressed further, helium conceded, “Yes, based on, obviously, intelligence. Nobody is stating it openly.”The interrogation besides touched connected Pakistan’s overseas relations.
Hasan pointed to information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute showing that astir 80 per cent of Pakistan’s weapons implicit the past 4 years person travel from China. He asked whether caller moves to deepen ties with Washington nether Donald Trump, done mineral and crypto deals, risked jeopardising relations with Beijing.Asif brushed disconnected the suggestion. “We are not disquieted astir that due to the fact that it’s a time-tested narration with China since the precocious 50s...
I’ll conscionable reason it by saying that China is not disquieted astir our flirtations oregon immoderate you telephone it.”
Pressed connected whether Pakistan’s strategical aboriginal lies with the US oregon China, Asif was unequivocal. “In the past, adjacent contiguous and successful the aboriginal also, China has been a precise reliable ally, a precise reliable supplier of arms of each kinds to us... Almost a large information of our arms are from China, and our defence practice is increasing. It is overmuch much robust than before.” He added: “They are reliable and they are our neighbours.
We stock borders and we stock the geography.”His remarks came a time aft Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir met President Trump astatine the White House.
