Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Sunday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan was not honest but a pickpocket.

“Those who call Imran Khan honest should know that he is not an honest person at all. He is the biggest thief, and it has been proven now,” the defence minister said addressing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers convention in Sialkot.

The federal minister said Imran Khan sold jewellery worth Rs 6 billion from Toshakhana for only Rs 15 million.

“The big thief turned out to be Murshid, who sold watches through Zulfi Bukhari, and because of his [Imran Khan’s] lust for money and power, Imran and his friends will be held accountable for this sin.”

The defence minister said that the PTI chief defamed former army chief General Bajwa despite the fact he helped him come into power

He claimed that Imran Khan did not appear out of the dark, he was introduced as part of a plan and the “planners” had decided to impose him on the state.

The defence minister said that Imran Khan offered to make Bajwa army chief for life and “now he considers giving him an extension as a mistake”.

Asif said that Imran Khan was making hue and cry for bringing him to power again so that he could cause more destruction to the country.

“Imran Khan, during around four year tenure in government, not only destroyed the national economy but also the upcoming generations by feeding them with negative narratives,” the PML-N leader said, adding that the PTI chief was asking for early elections so that he could inflict more miseries on the people of Pakistan.

He said that the coalition government was trying day and night for the last eight months to improve and revive the country’s economy.

“It [Government] is determined that very soon it would be able to bring the country’s economy on the right track, for which important and concrete steps are being taken,” the minister added.

Asif said that a British newspaper Daily Mail, which published a fabricated article against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has apologised now for false accusations.

During PTI’s rule false cases were registered against many PML-N leaders, the defence minister said adding that Rana Sanaullah also faced a fake case and he was kept in prison. “But by the grace of Allah Almighty, we were cleared of all fake cases.”