After incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan formed a five-member team to hold talks with the incumbent government on two key demands, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif urged the former ruling party to initiate talks with political parties in parliament.
He, however, claimed that the PTI's civil disobedience's call is destined to fail just like its "previous attacks on Islamabad" as the "state is providing everything to its people".
"Civil disobedience [movement] becomes successful when the people are not dependent on the state," said Asif speaking to Geo News, adding that the state is providing all facilities to the nationals.
"No one would deprive family from these facilities," he said.
He was of the view that such movements had made impacts during the British era and said: "Whoever tabled this suggestion to the PTI is seemingly unaware of history."
Two days ago, the PTI founder had announced a five-member negotiation committee comprising Omar Ayub Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser.
The committee, he said, would negotiate with the federal government on two points — the release of "political prisoners" facing trial and the constitution of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023, and a late-night crackdown on PTI protesters on November 26.
Taking to X, he also warned the government of launching a "civil disobedience" movement if his demands are not met besides announcing a "grand gathering" in Peshawar on December 13 to "pay homage to the martyrs" that, according to him, were killed during the PTI’s Islamabad protest.
Commenting on possibilities of govt-PTI talks, Asif took a dig at the PTI founder, saying that Khan had always shown readiness to hold negotiations only with establishment.
"It is now in the news that the PTI founder is ready to hold dialogue with political parties," said Asif asking the opposition party to play its parliamentary role instead of doing street politics.
In a veiled jibe at the PTI founder's wife, Asif claimed that Bushra Bibi doesn't understand politics, however, she "has a great understanding of financial matters".
He criticised her statement in which she claimed being left alone by the PTI leaders during the party's "final call" protest.
The defence czar said that he saw a video which showed Bushra leaving the protest venue by herself. He claimed that no one had left Bushra alone as all PTI leaders and protesters "ran away" from the Islamabad protest.
The former ruling party's much-hyped protest in Islamabad, aimed at securing the PTI founder's release who has been behind bars for more than a year, culminated in party’s hasty retreat after the government's midnight crackdown on the protesters last month.
The Imran-founded party has since claimed that at least 12 of its workers were killed and 1,000 were arrested. However, the government has categorically denied using live ammunition against the protesters and said that four law enforcers including three Rangers personnel and policeman were martyred during the protest.
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