Defence Minister Khawaja Asif urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan to exercise restraint in his public statements if he wishes to reduce political tensions within the country.
Asif expressed concerns over a controversial social media post shared on Khan’s official X account, formerly Twitter, suggesting that it was aimed at fueling tensions rather than fostering peace.
The post attributed to Khan, which referenced the Hamood ur Rahman Commission Report and the historical events surrounding General Yahya Khan and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, raised eyebrows and drew criticism.
Asif highlighted Khan’s attempt to create a situation reminiscent of past tensions, particularly referencing events on May 9.
Regarding the controversial video, Asif noted that efforts were made to retract the tweet related to the former Bangladeshi president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He mentioned Barrister Gohar Khan’s clarification that the social media team had acted without authorization, marking the first instance of retraction from their account.
Asif asserted his divergent stance on the history of East Pakistan and criticized Khan for exploiting historical tragedies to escalate tensions. He also commented on Khan’s strained relationships with military figures, including General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s father, General Faiz Hamid, suggesting a pattern of ingratitude from Khan towards those who had supported him.
Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency initiated action against Khan over the controversial tweet, leading to a confrontation when they attempted to meet him at Adiala jail.
Khan declined to engage with the FIA investigation without legal representation, signaling his reluctance to cooperate.
In defense of Khan, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar claimed that Khan had no involvement in the content posted on his account and argued that the tweet was misconstrued.
He emphasized that the comparison made in the tweet was purely political and not intended to disparage the military.
