Govt. In No Hurry To Arrest Imran Khan, Dealing With Restraint: Kh Asif

ISLAMABAD, Mar 7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Mar, 2023 ) :Minister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday said the Federal government was in no hurry to arrest Imran Khan rather it was dealing with restraint.

Addressing a news conference here, the Defence Minister said the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan was desperately running here and there.

Khawaja Asif said he (Imran Khan) was exposed before his supporters and the common man has come to know that he is a coward.

Imran Khan, he said, had a chicken's heart, and courage cannot be bought with money. He suggested that Khan should learn to have some heart from Mian Nawaz Sharif.

The Minister said for the past few days Imran Khan had staged a drama. "No criminal in the past 75 years of history of the country had denied appearing before the courts. Especially political leaders and workers who have rendered huge sacrifices for the protection and safeguarding of their ideology and politics," he added.

Khawaja Asif underlined that the biggest of the sacrifices was that of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto which was acknowledged by the judiciary. Justice Naseem Hassan Shah accepted Bhutto's judicial murder, he added.

The trend of respect for the courts and adoption of legal and constitutional ways out for justice was set by Mian Nawaz Sharif, he said, adding, "No political leader and even a common citizen had defied the courts ever." The Minister mentioned that Nawaz Sharif faced many court hearings along with his daughter and also got detained and disqualified.

But, he said Imran Khan was defying the courts and provoking his workers and followers to violently resist the law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

Khawaja Asif said the government was handling this issue with restraint. The advocate of Imran Khan did not have legal documents prepared to appear before the courts, he added.

"This is not the behavior of politicians and political workers but of an opportunist. He started his politics after receiving the political patronage of General Musharraf.

From Musharraf to Bajwa his politics is not without the support of the establishment," he added.

"He used to praise General Bajwa during his tenure and now criticises him," he alleged, adding, "What kind of people and breed they are? A politician should feel proud over his/her detention for his ideas and go to jail with pride for being victimized for his ideology," the Defence Minister said.

Instead, he said they (PTI Leadership) started weeping on tv and some of them in courts. He has no regard for his own integrity, adding, "He is using a fake plaster, multiple fractures heal in this time period." Imran Khan's political status was exposed after his dramas. "People have trust in Shaukat Khanam Memorial Hospital and he has not abstained from misappropriating its funds for using donations to fund PTI," he added.

"He asks people to court arrests and gets bail himself. Leaders give courage to their followers by setting an example. Mian Nawaz Sharif, his family members, brother and nephews faced detentions. We have allegations and fight them with honor." Responding to media queries, he said Toshakahana Committee was formed and its new rules and regulations were underway as no one would be allowed to keep those gifts except perishable items. "You can keep chocolates if someone gives you." The federal government would keep those gifts as state property and would hold a periodical auction of those gifts whereas that amount would be deposited in the national treasury or donated to recognized welfare institutions, he said.

Earlier, the Defence Minister condemned the terrorist attack in Balochistan and said this trend started over the past few months which was alarming and regrettable.

He added that all the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) were fighting against terrorism as Pakistan Army, FC and others were rendering huge sacrifices.

"We went to Afghanistan and got a positive response in this regard. A delegation is also expected from Afghanistan and there will be some development on this issue to stop its soil use for terrorism," he said.