KARACHI: Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has proposed three ways for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership to come out of the imbroglio it finds itself in as the fallout of the May 9 events.
Speaking in a private television interview on Monday, he said that if anyone wants to stay in politics, repentance is necessary. “If anybody wants to claim to be a national leader or has claims to national leadership, there is no compromise on May 9; they should express regret over May 9.”
The defence minister further said: “You may call it an apology, or regret or whatever word you want to give it, but this is a chapter in our 76 or 77 years of history which cannot be closed without an apology or regret.”
When his attention was drawn to the observation that PTI founder Imran Khan was not ready for an apology, he said it is up to him (Imran) if he wants to apologize or not.
Khawaja Asif said he (Imran Khan) is a popular leader and I don’t deny his popularity, but it doesn’t mean that if you have four people, you can go and attack the corps commander house or attack a base in Mianwali or the ISI office in Faisalabad or the houses of commanders in Sialkot. Popularity does not mean you can destroy state.”
He remarked that those sanding trial over May 9 can tender an apology or express regret in courts as well. They can apologize to the nation or an institution which is also an institution of the nation, he added.
He stated that parliament is another forum where this can be done, but two or three dozen leaders of the PTI keep making comments contradicting one another. “So, who would trust them?” he asked.
