“The government has no objections to negotiations between the PTI and the establishment,” he said in an interview with BBC Urdu.

The defence minister’s comments come amidst the ongoing political tensions in Pakistan and the government’s willingness to engage in talks with the PTI. But the former ruling party has linked negotiations with the release of its incarcerated leader.

Asif was of the view that political matters should be resolved through political means, and dialogue was “necessary” for this.

While speaking about the counterterrorism campaign, he said that it was the government’s necessity, not the military.

Earlier this week, he hinted at the possibility of cross-border strikes to eliminate militant hideouts in the neighbouring country.

In an interview with Voice of America, the defence minister said Islamabad could strike terror havens in Afghanistan and it would not be against international law since Kabul had been “exporting” terrorism to Pakistan and the “exporters” were being harboured there.