PTI slams Khawaja Asif’s remarks on terrorism policy as ‘politically motivated’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Waqas Akram on Friday strongly condemned Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s “reckless, irresponsible, and nonsensical” remarks regarding PTI’s stance on terrorism, terming them highly regrettable and politically driven.

In a strongly worded statement, he said that instead of shifting the burden of its failures onto others, the government should revisit and reform its flawed internal security approach to effectively eliminate militancy and terrorism from the country.

He stressed that terror incidents had significantly declined during the tenure of Imran Khan as prime minister, owing to a comprehensive and coordinated counterterrorism strategy formulated in partnership with national security institutions.

“Peace and stability have always been PTI’s foremost priority,” he added, underscoring that the party’s approach was policy-based and institutionally aligned, not politically motivated.

Waqas Akram further reminded government leaders like Khawaja Asif that Pakistan is governed by the Constitution and the rule of law, not by personal or political agendas — a principle that Imran Khan and PTI have always upheld.

Separately, PTI Information Secretary Waqas Akram categorically rejected and strongly refuted what he described as a false, baseless, and fabricated news report aired by a private television channel regarding an alleged meeting between Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Aleema Khan, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan.

He clarified that no such meeting ever took place, and that Aleema Khan had neither met the chief minister nor made any recommendation concerning cabinet appointments or changes.

The PTI information secretary condemned the report as entirely unfounded and devoid of truth, urging media outlets to act responsibly and to refrain from broadcasting unverified and misleading content that violates ethical and journalistic standards.