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Tag: Khawaja Asif

  • Imran Khan says President Alvi will consult him on the appointment of new COAS

    Imran Khan says President Alvi will consult him on the appointment of new COAS

    Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has claimed that President Arif Alvi will consult him on the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

    The former Prime Minister made the explosive claim during an interview with ARY News. Stating that he was in contact with President Alvi, who is a member of PTI, Imran Khan said, “I am in contact with the President over the summary related to a key appointment”, adding that being the party chairman, Alvi would consult him.

    “I have no issues with whoever is made the army chief but I want that the decision should be taken on merit,” he stressed.

    When asked whether the President would delay the appointment of the new Army Chief, the PTI head said, “President Alvi and we have decided to play within constitutional boundaries.”

    He said that the people who are responsible for the appointment of this top army post are corrupt and he has reservations about their choice.

    Appearing on Geo News programme “Capital Talk” on November 21, when senior journalist Hamid Mir asked Defence Minister Khawaja Asif that why Imran Khan chose November 26 as the date for his long march, the minister stated that Khan might be considering the option that the President would not approve PM Shehbaz’s recommendation for the COAS.

    Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed that it has finally received the summary from the Ministry of Defence with a list of names of the candidates for the new COAS and the chairman joint chief of staff committee (CJCSC).

    The incumbent COAS General Bajwa is set to retire on November 29 after six years in office. He was appointed in 2016 by then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and later granted an additional three-year extension in 2019 by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

  • Name of new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday, says Khawaja Asif

    Name of new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday, says Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that the name of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday.


    Discussing the all-important appointment on Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, the defence minister said that the process to appoint a new head of the armed forces would start on Monday.

    During the show, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that the change of command ceremony would be held on November 29. He also predicted that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march would suffer a severe blow the day the appointment decision was finalised.

    COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the incumbent army chief, is set to retire later this month. On multiple instances, he has ruled out an extension in his tenure — and so has the military.

    Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said the matter of the next army chief’s appointment would be settled in a day or two.

    “I believe the Prime Minister has completed this process (of consultation) and will bring it to paper, today or tomorrow or the next two days, [it] takes no time,” he said.

    “I will also request you that this is a matter of a day or two so don’t ask questions which can lead to unnecessary speculation,” he said, adding that “there is not a lot of time left to this decision and it will come before you.”

  • ‘Excellent’: says PM Shehbaz after meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

    ‘Excellent’: says PM Shehbaz after meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting at the Royal Palace of Riyadh.

    During the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the bond between both Islamic countries, reports Radio Pakistan.

    PM Shehbaz thanked the Saudi leadership for extending assistance to Pakistan during the recent devastating floods, particularly for establishing the air bridge between Riyadh and Islamabad to provide relief goods in flood-affected areas.

    Meanwhile, crown prince Salman termed the fraternal ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia very important for the two countries as well as for the region and the world.

    Taking to Twitter, PM Shehbaz described the meeting as “excellent”. He said, “We agreed to upgrade and enhance bilateral ties and fraternal bonds between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to new heights in line with the requirements of the changing world. I told the crown prince that people of Pakistan are eagerly looking forward to his visit,” he added.

    Later, the premier and his accompanying delegation performed Umrah at Makkah’s Grand Mosque, where he “prayed for the peace and prosperity of Pakistan as well as Muslim ummah.”

    PM Shehbaz addressed the Future Investment Initiative Conference in Saudia

    PM Shehbaz addressed the Future Investment Initiative Conference in Saudia and highlighted the importance his government attaches to enabling the participation of Pakistani youth to become agents of change in the technology world.

    In his address with attendees at the sixth edition of the FII summit, Sharif called the conference a “remarkable” forum launched by his Saudi “friends.”

    “For the investment in solar and wind energy projects in Pakistan, I am standing before you, inviting you to please come forward and invest in these fields”, PM said on the occasion.

    PM Shehbaz landed in Riyadh on Monday where he was received by Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud at the airport. The premier is accompanied by several federal ministers. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and other officials are with him.

    The Saudi Crown Prince is likely to visit Pakistan on an official visit in November.

    The last time the crown prince visited Pakistan was in February 2019 when former PM Imran Khan was in power.

  • No decision has been reached so far on COAS appointment: Khawaja Asif

    No decision has been reached so far on COAS appointment: Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has revealed that no decision has been reached by the federal government yet about the appointment of a new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

    According to the defence minister, the selection process for the new army chief will likely begin within the next five to seven days.

    Talking in Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath”, the minister said five names will be forwarded and then Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will pick one of those names. He was of the view that the appointment is quite a simple method as this exercise has been conducted several times in the past too.

    The appointment for the COAS position is due to take place in November.

    About the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned long march, the federal minister said that the government will not be blackmailed by the PTI if the party comes to Islamabad.

    The minister also said that no negotiations have taken place with PTI. “A couple of meetings took place because of Imran’s old acquaintances”, he added.

    On the contrary, Khan has claimed that negotiations were indeed held. He also warned the government to give a date for early general elections or else he will announce a date for the long march within the current month.

    Discussing the recent by-elections held on the past Sunday, Asif said that if Khan had let his party candidates run from their respective constituencies instead of contesting himself, the results would have been different.

    During the show, he also hinted towards keeping the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance in place in the next elections.

  • Process for appointment of next COAS will start from Oct-end or November: Khawaja Asif

    Process for appointment of next COAS will start from Oct-end or November: Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, has revealed that the process for the appointment of a new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) will either start by the end of this month or the beginning of the next and that it will be done in line with the law and constitution.

    In a press conference on Wednesday (today), the minister stressed that it is the discretion of the sitting prime minister to pick any name which has been recommended by GHQ (General Headquarters).

    He stated that anyone from among the five nominated names could be appointed as the next chief of army staff. However, he pointed out that in the past, names other than the five suggested have also been chosen for the military chief’s position.

    Speaking about the appointment of the army chief on the basis of seniority, the defence minister said: “All three-star generals are eligible for this post”.

    During the conference, the minister said that the army is currently fighting against terrorism and the nation should support it.

    Taking a jibe at PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s apprehension over the appointment of COAS, Asif said that he is anxious as November is approaching.

    The present COAS, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, will be completing his extended term in November this year. He was appointed to this position in 2016.

    Recently, COAS Bajwa — who is currently in the US— reiterated his promise to leave office after completing his second three-year term in November.

  • ‘No one has done forgery like Khan’: Khawaja Asif reacts to audio leak no. 2

    ‘No one has done forgery like Khan’: Khawaja Asif reacts to audio leak no. 2

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reacted to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s second audio leak in which the leader can be heard directing his party members not to name the United States (US) in the cipher matter.

    The minister, who is currently in London, told the media that it is an “Ideal case” of Article 6 of the Constitution, which deals with high treason.

    “He [Imran Khan] should listen to the clips himself and feel shame on how he has put Pakistan’s integrity at stake in his lust for power,” Asif said, lashing out at Imran.

    “In Pakistan’s 75-year history, no politician has put Pakistan’s security at risk,” said Asif. He admitted that politicians and army officials have done things against each other and made mistakes but no one has done a “forgery” like the PTI leader.

    “In the audio, he is saying do not take America’s name but at the same time is talking against it. I cannot even imagine that a politician can be this shameful,” added the minister.

    Referring to Khan’s alleged insistence in the audio leak on using the word “letter” instead of cipher because “people wouldn’t have understood the word transcript”, Asif said the “PTI chief had underestimated the nation’s collective wisdom and will pay the price.”

    Audio leak:

    In the second audio leak, Imran Khan when he was Prime Minister (PM) is directing his close aides not to take America’s name while talking about the US cipher in public.

    “We don’t have to name the Americans. Under no circumstances do we have to take the name. So, on this issue please, the name of the country should not come out of anyone.”

    In turn, the voice, supposedly belonging to Asad Umar, raised a question: “Are you saying letter deliberately? This is not a letter, it is the meeting’s transcript.”

    On this, Imran Khan says that both the letter and the transcript are “the same thing”. He added that “People wouldn’t have understood the word transcript if you say things like this in your jalsa.”

    In the first audio leak that surfaced a couple of days ago, the PTI chief directed his then-principal secretary Azam Khan that, “We have to play with it [cipher]”.

    On the same day, when the first audio leak came out Khan broke his silence on it and said that he has not played on the cipher yet.

  • PM Shehbaz’s many alleged audio leaks in 24 hours, PTI raises questions

    PM Shehbaz’s many alleged audio leaks in 24 hours, PTI raises questions

    Audios allegedly of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and other Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders have been leaked.

    Following the leaks, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter, saying, “PM House’s data has been put on sale on the dark web. It is a major failure of our intelligence agencies, especially the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Besides political matters, important discussions on security and foreign affairs are in their hands.”

    Similarly, his party member Shireen Mazari said that the real issue is that who placed these hacking devices.

    “Real issue is who bugged the PMO/PMHouse in the first place. The hacking happened because devices were placed in these locations. So who is responsible and where did orders or decision come from? That is a question that must also be focused on,” she tweeted.

    ‘TV par ulti baatein karta hai’: Maryam Nawaz about Miftah Ismail

    In one of the audio clips, PML-N Vice-president Maryam Nawaz allegedly can be heard complaining to her uncle [PM Shehbaz] about Finance Minister Miftah Ismail. “

    “TV par ulti baatein karta hai” (He says strange things on television), she allegedly says.

    “He doesn’t take responsibility, says strange things on TV which people make fun of, he doesn’t know what he is doing,” the voice said to be Maryam’s says in the clip.

    “He clearly cut corners,” the voice said to be PM Shehbaz can be heard saying as she wishes for the return of former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

    It is pertinent to mention that Dar will take over as the Finance Minister in the coming week.

    The second clip allegedly concerns a conversation between PM Shehbaz, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Tarar, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and former National Assembly (NA) speaker Ayaz Sadiq about the resignations of PTI MNAs. The audio is said to be a recording of a cabinet meeting.

    Party leaders can be allegedly heard discussing whose resignations from PTI will be accepted. Moreover, the leaders can be heard saying that the final decision will be taken by PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif who is in London.

    At one point, Ayaz Sadiq can be heard saying that “Will tell them that the signatures were not correct,” allegedly talking about those PTI members whose resignations they did not want to accept.

    The third clip is allegedly a conversation between Maryam Nawaz and the PM where they are discussing the return of former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

    A voice said to be Maryam’s can be heard saying that “Army has decided to bring Musharraf back to Pakistan so before it looks like that they have an imposed a decision on us, I asked Abu (Nawaz Sharif) to tweet in favour of Musharraf’s return.”

    At the time, Nawaz had tweeted, saying: “I have no personal enmity or animosity towards Pervez Musharraf. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the trauma I have had to endure.”

    ‘Her son-in-law is very dear to her’: PM Shehbaz

    ‘Her son-in-law is very dear to her’: PM Shehbaz allegedly says in another audio leak, referring to Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law.

    In that clip, PM Shehbaz and an unidentified man can be heard allegedly discussing about facilitating Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law Raheel.

    The unidentified man can be heard briefing the person, alleged to be the premier, about the consequences of taking the decision.

    At this, the voice thought to belong to the PM says: “The son-in-law is very dear to Maryam Nawaz. Tell her very logically about this and then I will talk to her.” He also said that he would personally meet him once he returns from Turkey.

    At this, the other person allegedly advises PM Shehbaz to get this work done from former finance minister Ishaq Dar, to which he agrees.

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif was about to resign on May 27: report

    PM Shehbaz Sharif was about to resign on May 27: report

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif decided to resign from his position on May 27 due to the tough conditions set up by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), reports Noor Aftab for The News.

    “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was not ready to fulfill conditions of the IMF that was mounting pressure on the government to increase prices of the petroleum products to an unprecedented level.”

    It has been reported that at the time PM Shehbaz and the former finance minister Ishaq Dar were supporting the proposal to dissolve the National Assembly and hold fresh elections instead of accepting IMF’s demands.

    However, later Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) realised that if PM Shehbaz resigned, it would be a loss for the PML-N. The party then decided that the coalition government would continue to work and they also needed a finance minister to deal with the economic issues.

    Shahid Khaqan says Dar isn’t coming back

    Former PM and PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Dar is not coming back to Pakistan “in the near future”.

    “I don’t think former finance minister Ishaq Dar will return to Pakistan in near future. All decisions are taken by the party leadership in consultation with the senior party members”, said Shahid Khaqan, adding that Finance Minister Miftah Ismail would continue his work in the future as he has been doing exceptional work to restore Pakistan’s fractured economy.

    The debate about Miftah’s replacement escalated soon after speculations about Dar’s return and him confirming the same to BBC Urdu.

    Now, the development has sparked a debate that whether PML-N leaders are divided into two groups over the selection of a finance minister.

    Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique showed his support to Dar while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Abbasi are in favour of Miftah Ismail.

    Meanwhile, according to The Express Tribune, Miftah said that though he has support from the federal cabinet and the PML-N, there are a few party members who are criticising and opposing him.

  • Imran Khan’s upcoming alleged audio leak: PTI says if it happens, they will not sit quietly

    Imran Khan’s upcoming alleged audio leak: PTI says if it happens, they will not sit quietly

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s conversation with his former Principal Secretary Azam Khan at the time when he was Prime Minister of Pakistan (PM) can be leaked, writes journalist Ansar Abbasi for Daily Jang.

    Following this, Focal Person on Digital Media to Khan Dr Arslan Khalid took to Twitter and said, “Recording thousands of calls, editing voices, making custom phone calls and then spreading them through your envelopes, is all that’s left now.”

    PTI’s Babar Awan termed this act as treason and said, “First Bushra Imran’s fake audio and now Imran Khan’s. Is it a joke that someone can tap the call of the PM of a nuclear country or use it for media trial by tampering and editing?”

    Journalist Mansoor Ali Khan shared an old interview of Khan when he was in power. In the video clip, Khan can be heard defending Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for recording calls.

    According to Khan, ISI knows who is he talking to over the telephone. He further said that they should know because they are responsible for the security of the PM.

    Addressing a press conference, both former federal ministers and PTI leaders Shireen Mazari and Fawad Chaudhry condemned Khan’s and Bushra Bibi’s leaked audios.

    Talking about Khan’s audio, Mazari said phone tapping of a PM’s secure line is illegal as only an intelligence agency can do that. She urged that Supreme Court (SC) take suo moto of the situation as it is a violation of SC order.

    In the verdict issued in the late 1990s, the top court had said that an individual’s privacy under Article 14 was not just restricted to physical boundaries of home or work but also extended to public places.

    Taking Ansar Abbasi’s name, she further said it is a clear violation of the Constitution. Mazari said that if such audio is leaked, it will be a violation of the Official Secrets Act as the conversation between a PM and his principal secretary.

    “If a journalist leaks this, they are not only violating Article 14, they will also be in violation of the Official Secrets Act. Beware, we will not sit quietly if this happens,” she added.

    Commenting upon the leaked audio of Bushra Bibi, the former minister said that “no substantial” conversation was there and “the actual problem here is of phone tapping”.

    “One wonders how much did the US help in tapping the phones?” Mazari posed a question. She said that the “neutrals and the government” could not find evidence of corruption against Khan that’s why they are leaking audios. She further claimed that they are diverting the public from real problems such as inflation, loadshedding, etc.

    Meanwhile, speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that if PTI claims that Bushra Bibi’s audio leak is fake, they can get its forensics done from a third party.

    On Saturday, an alleged audio of Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi was leaked in which she is instructing Arslan Khalid to make a statement against Khan’s opponents and run a campaign to ‘prove them, traitors’.

  • ‘Made a mistake, want to fix matters’: Khawaja Asif says Khan wants to make amends with the US

    ‘Made a mistake, want to fix matters’: Khawaja Asif says Khan wants to make amends with the US

    The United States (US) State Department restated its claim that there is no truth to the allegations that Washington was involved in a conspiracy to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    The reiteration came on Sunday after media reports that PTI’s Secretary of the Office of International Chapters (OIC) Dr Abdullah Riar had contacted the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and asked him to forget the past and move forward.

    A US State Department spokesperson, when asked about Riar’s reported contact with Lu, said: “As a standard practice, we do not comment on private diplomatic meetings,” reports Dawn.

    Imran Khan’s claim of the US involvement in ousting him reiterated: “As we have said before, there is no truth to these allegations.”

    Khan wants to fix matters with America

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that there was evidence of a meeting of the PTI leader and an apology to the US government.

    Speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Khawaja Asif said: “We [the coalition government] have obtained all records regarding PTI’s apology to Lu. Evidence has been received regarding PTI leaders’ meeting with the US government where they tendered an apology.”

    Asif said that Imran Khan has sent a message to America that we have made a mistake, he wants to fix matters with America and the process should start from where it was broken.

    ‘Let’s move on’: Is PTI trying to be friends with Donald Lu?

    Reports suggest that Dr Abdullah Riar sent a message to Donald Lu.

    According to media reports, Riar in a message to Lu has said, “Let’s move on.”

    It is pertinent to mention here that Lu is the same person who has been accused by the PTI Chairperson Imran Khan of being behind the conspiracy to remove him from power. Khan accused Lu of using undiplomatic language to threaten his government in the wake of the no-confidence motion.

    Khan in his interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson said that Lu should be sacked for his sheer arrogance.

    The PTI chairman said that the US diplomat told Pakistan’s ambassador that unless “you get Imran Khan removed in a vote of no-confidence — which was not tabled but he seemed to know about it — Pakistan will suffer consequences”.

    “And then goes on to say, of course, if you get rid of him through the vote of no-confidence, all will be forgiven — such arrogance […] by the way Becky, this guy should be sacked for bad manners and sheer arrogance,” said Khan.