On Sunday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif revealed that the government arranged a meeting between former Prime Minister Imran Khan and others at 7 a.m. on August 22, following the former ruling party’s proposal to cancel its planned rally.
Speaking in Sialkot, Asif addressed the early morning meeting between PTI leader Azam Swati and Khan at Adiala Jail, stating, “What objection could the administration have when the discussion was about canceling the rally?”
Asif highlighted that conversations within jails are not private, with every movement being recorded, citing his own experience of being in a cell equipped with 16 cameras. The PTI had postponed its Islamabad rally on Thursday, citing a government “conspiracy to spread chaos.” The last-minute change led to frustration among supporters and some party leaders.
In response to the planned rally, the Islamabad district administration declared a holiday for government and private schools on Thursday and sealed off the Red Zone. The Metro bus service in the twin cities was also suspended as the party had not received the necessary NOC to stage the rally.
Earlier in the week, Khan, speaking to reporters from jail, stated that he postponed the rally due to concerns about potential unrest. Asif further mentioned that the conversation between Khan, Bushra Bibi, Raoof Hasan, and Aleem Khan became public knowledge after the rally’s cancellation. He pointed to internal divisions within the PTI, asserting that if the rally had been poised for success, it would not have been canceled.
Asif also addressed the PTI’s claim that it had no involvement in the events of May 9, challenging the party to explain “whose faces” were visible in the videos, which millions witnessed. He criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and former Punjab CM Usman Buzdar, stating, “Gandapur is even worse than Buzdar,” and accused the KP CM of making derogatory remarks about his cabinet members.
The defence minister concluded by asserting that the future of the country is determined by its own actions, not by whether Democrats or Republicans hold power in the United States.
