Faiz masterminded Faizabad dharna: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Former Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Wednesday that Faizabad sit-in is a major link in the conspiracy against the then-premier Nawaz Sharif.

He said Lt Gen (R) Faiz’s insistence on signing as witness in the Faizabad sit-in agreement and payment of money to the participants indicated he was the mastermind of dharna. Faizabad dharna case decision should be implemented, he said.

Khawaja Asif was speaking in Geo News programme “Capital Talk”, hosted by Hamid Mir.

Asif said conspiracy against Nawaz had started before 2013. “Our religion was harmed, distorted by making baseless accusations in the Faizabad sit-in’’, he lamented. Faiz Hameed used to say that until he signed, the agreement would not be successful, he reminded.

The picketers were so pampered that they were given money to go back home, Kh Asif said, adding the people involved in Faizabad sit-in were the rulers in their government.

‘‘The decision of Supreme Court against the military courts seems to be time-specific. It seems the decision is intended to give relief to some class and group’’, he said.

After the victory of Asma Jahangir Group in the Supreme Court Bar election with a clear majority, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf must have realised that lawyers would not launch any movement, he hoped.

Chairman Standing Committee on Defence Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed also participated in the programme. Mushahid said there should be talks with Imran Khan and his political party. ‘‘Nawaz Sharif can talk to Chairman PTI as he is a man of wisdom’’, he noted.