Islamabad (Pakistan News): Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that recent statements by Chaudhry Salik Hussain suggest that a new political strategy is being developed for the future and efforts are underway to pave the way for an alternative arrangement.
Speaking on ARY News' programme, Khawaja Asif said that the purpose of such statements was to undermine the credibility of the incumbent government so that new faces could be introduced into the political arena. According to him, some investors have also been involved in political activities for the past several months, while the possibility of nepotism in this matter cannot be ruled out.
The Defence Minister said that certain individuals were working behind this plan, but he did not wish to share further details. He clarified that this was his personal observation and not confidential information.
Khawaja Asif revealed that some wealthy investors and political opportunists had been active for the past eight to ten months, attempting to establish their position in the political arena. According to him, some individuals around 50 years of age and investors are jointly trying to form a new political group, possibly because they expect general elections to be held after two years.
Responding to a question about Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the Defence Minister said that no agreed political strategy was underway between him and the Maulana. He said that cases were pending against Maulana, and if the government withdrew those cases, allegations of a political deal could carry some weight. However, he maintained that he had never engaged in any such political bargaining.
Khawaja Asif said that corruption was a nationwide issue and could not be restricted to Punjab alone. He added that ordinary citizens faced it in their daily lives.
Commenting on Chaudhry Salik Hussain's statements, he said that the Chaudhry family was respectable, but family relationships or nepotism could also be a factor behind their position.