Failed to establish contact between Zardari, Nawaz, admits Kh Asif

KARACHI: Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has remarked that he had failed to establish a contact between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People's Party Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari.

Speaking in Geo News programme Capital Talk on Thursday, Asif also shared that he had contacted Farooq Naek, who is the lawyer of PPP, to take up the Iqama (work permit) case against him. “He is my wife’s elder brother and my maternal cousin,” he shared. However, Naek refused to help me and said that Zardari had stopped him from taking up the case.

In this regard, I tried to contact Zardari many times, even left messages for him with his ADC, claimed Asif. “But Zardari didn’t answer any of my calls,” he added. “We have to work towards improving the political situation,” said the foreign minister, adding that “politicians shouldn’t make a drama of themselves.”

When asked if there was a chance of PML-N and PPP working together, the minister said that he cannot say anything for sure. “Personally speaking, I think there is no chance of contact between the two parties.”

Asif was also asked why he thinks there is no chance of contact, he said that he doesn't want to engage in speculation.  Reacting to Imran’s tweets earlier in the day, Asif said that none of the allegations levelled by Imran against Nawaz Sharif had proven to be true. If a person says the truth, then he won’t have to remember all that he has said, he claimed. “I have never seen someone misstate the facts the way Imran does.”

Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan had denounced the protocol under which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was taken to the Punjab House from the Islamabad airport on Thursday morning. 

Asif also spoke about his speech in the Senate on October 1, in which he talked about the failure of the United States' policy in neighbouring Afghanistan. Asif told lawmakers that the US policy for South Asia was actually targeted for Afghanistan.

"The US generals, who faced defeat in Afghanistan in the last 15 years, have formed the structure of the policy for this region,” Asif had remarked. Explaining his speech, he said that when a policy is framed by generals who are losing a war, who have seen losses being incurred, had their territory lost, seen their investment being destroyed, then it can’t be “a balanced policy”.

He also shared that there was a trust deficit with the US and Afghanistan because one day or another, US officials make a statement “warning” Pakistan. Pakistan wants to co-exist with other nations with respect. “We are a nuclear power. We have worked hard to ensure peace in the country. Our soldiers have made countless sacrifices. We should be proud of these things,” he added.  

Referring to his visit to the US, he remarked that his meeting with the United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was quite pleasant. “Tillerson is more understanding than other US officials, I have been in contact with,” he remarked.

Asif also shared details of his meeting with US National Security Adviser HR McMaster. “As soon as McMaster came, he stated that US has minimum trust in Pakistan and that Pakistan has failed to fulfill its commitments. I responded that if the US doesn’t trust us, then given our past we shouldn’t trust you at all.”

Instead of responding to this, McMaster ended the meeting, claiming that he had to go see the vice-president, Asif added. 

Speaking about the rift between the PML-N members, he reiterated that these were just rumours. Even if there was a rift, then we would always give preference to politics. He added, “There is no disagreement between Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shahbaz.”

Commenting on Nisar’s statements that conditions within the PML-N were worse than 1999, he said that there is no such thing. “Our condition is much better than in 1999.” On the PML-N meeting in London, he claimed, “I didn’t even know there was a meeting in London. News channels said I am attending the meeting while I was sitting in my office in Pakistan.” On the general elections, he assured that the elections will be held on time. “We have to strengthen our democracy so that people start trusting us.”