By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Defence minister Khawaja Asif has accused PTI founder Imran Khan of using “inappropriate and damaging language” even during periods of military tension with India, saying such behavior reflected an “anti-Pakistan identity”.
Speaking to reporters, Asif said the military’s spokesperson, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, had used careful language in his recent briefing, but he himself was not bound by the same restraint. “If they throw a brick, I have the liberty to respond with a stone,” he said, warning that political conduct would be met in kind.
Asif criticized a recent interview given by Khan’s sister to Indian media, questioning whether “any Pakistani could make such remarks”. He claimed that during the conflict with India, Pakistan’s friends and allies had stood by the country, “but one political party did not play that role”.
He alleged that Khan had continued to use harsh language even at a time when the military leadership was under pressure, and accused him of targeting the armed forces during sensitive moments. “When someone’s tongue is not even respectful towards martyrs, how can they claim to speak for Pakistan?” Asif said. “Their identity is anti-Pakistan. How can they call themselves Pakistani?”
The minister said politics and protest were the right of all parties, but warned against “insulting Pakistan’s soil, dignity and importance”. Reflecting on past disputes, Asif said his own party had criticized the military at times, but “we never supported terrorists”. He urged political actors not to praise the Taliban, pay extortion or show sympathy for terrorist groups.
