Pakistan's Defence Minister Labels PTI Leadership as 'Powerless'

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared talks with PTI are stalled until Imran Khan sends a clear message. He criticized PTI's internal discord and highlighted issues with Afghanistan regarding TTP's use of its soil for attacks on Pakistan. Terror incidents have notably surged, raising security concerns.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has dismissed the current Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership as powerless, stipulating that negotiations will not commence until a unambiguous directive comes from PTI's founding figure, Imran Khan, according to Geo News.

The PTI founder, who earlier threatened to initiate a civil disobedience campaign unless his demands for a judicial investigation into the government's actions against PTI supporters are addressed, has formed a committee to negotiate with the government. However, Asif expressed skepticism about PTI's cohesion, citing internal conflicts and public disagreements among party leaders, as reported by Geo News.

In other comments, Asif addressed Pakistan's singular issue with Afghanistan: preventing the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from using Afghan territory for cross-border terrorism. Since the Taliban's ascendancy in Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan has seen a rise in terror attacks, notably within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. A report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) indicated a worrying 90 percent increase in violent incidents from July to September this year.

(With inputs from agencies.)