- Criticises PTI for misusing NAB against rivals, urging the party to reflect on its past actions
- Steps down from Special Parliamentary Committee, stating it was not fulfilling its purpose
ISLAMABAD: Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday alleged that KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur spent the entire night between Sept 8 and 9 at the Kohsar Complex pleading for forgiveness, calling him “a two-faced man” and urging others not to trust him.
Speaking on a point of order during the National Assembly session, Kh Asif lambasted Gandapur, stating, “We don’t ask, but they should ask what Ali Amin Gandapur was doing all night at the Kohsar Complex.”
Asserting his point regarding Gandapur’s actions, the Defence Minister said, “Gandapur spent the entire night pleading for forgiveness, yet we don’t trust him.”
Expressing frustration with the recent meetings of the special parliamentary committee, he alleged that it seemed the committee was focused on solving PTI’s issues rather than addressing the broader concerns of parliament.
He announced his decision to step down from the committee, stating that it was not fulfilling its purpose.
“I don’t want to be part of a committee that is constantly rehashing old grievances,” he added.
Khawaja Asif went on to criticise PTI for its use of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) during its tenure, emphasising the need for the party to reflect on its actions over the past four years.
He also highlighted how, during PTI’s rule, the party treated leaders like Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz in ways that, in his words, “set no precedent.”
The session of the National Assembly was later adjourned until 3 pm the following day.
Earlier, in a conversation with journalists, Khawaja Asif reflected on his own time in detention, saying, “We also endured six to seven months in jail. I’m not sure if any arrests were made from within Parliament; it seems they happened outside,” he said.
Every political worker has their dignity, and arrests should be made with respect.
“Even during my imprisonment, I met my children in handcuffs. This isn’t something unique to Pakistan—it happens everywhere,” he added.
On Sept 8, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had gone missing after the PTI’s rally held in Sangjani.
Barrister Saif expressed concerns in the early hours of the next day, stating that all attempts to reach the Chief Minister Gandapur had failed, and his phone numbers were switched off.
Later that day, Ali Amin Gandapur reached the Chief Minister House in Peshawar, after remaining out of contact for more than eight hours.
Gandapur’s disappearance had coincided with a police crackdown on PTI’s top leadership that was triggered in the aftermath of violations that took place during Sunday’s rally in Islamabad.
