• Not afraid of Punjab govt’s witch-hunting attempts, Asif says.
• Critical to show the public their (PTI) true faces, he says.
• “Army still fighting war on terror, embracing martyrdom.”

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif Saturday claimed the “institution’s” neutrality was hurting a person “very much”, as he slammed PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

In his conversation with journalists, Asif claimed that the PTI leadership after a lot of persuasions had sent President Arif Alvi to the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Earlier, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz claimed that former prime minister Imran Khan was trying to negotiate an NRO (deal) in secret meetings with an important personality at the President’s House in Islamabad.  

“Azam Khan says they are going to make a new cypher out of the minutes of the meeting. Now, Imran Khan says they have no idea where did the cypher go and also don’t name the US,” Asif said.

‘Not afraid’

On the Punjab Police’s attempt to arrest Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Asif said Rana had always faced such political witch-hunts bravely in the past. 

“We are not afraid of the Punjab government. If they want to arrest us then they can do so,” the defence minister said.

It was critical to bring everything to light to show the public their true faces, Asif said, adding that in the days to come PTI would not be able to find a place to hide their faces.

Giving Imran Khan another broadside, Asif went on to say that Khan and his sisters sold properties and made 80 trust deeds.

‘Narratives fell flat’

“All of their narratives fell flat. Everybody knows why the PTI chief sent the President of Pakistan to the army chief and why they have made an offer until March-April. This neutrality is hurting one man (Imran Khan).”

The army was still fighting the war on terrorism and embracing martyrdoms, the defence minister said.

“Armed forces are still actively defending Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the province did not have even a semblance of a government,” Asif added.

To a query about PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming, Asif said previously Nawaz returned to Pakistan when he was sure of getting arrested and this time around he would definitely set foot on the soil of the country because it was his homeland.