Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Thursday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was trying to portray itself as a victim to make elections controversial.

Speaking in an exclusive interview Faisla Aap Ka on Aaj News on Thursday, Asif said that people held the ultimate powere and they should be able to exercise their right to choose their representatives freely. He added that the atmosphere must allow voters to reach ballot boxes without hesitation or influence.

Asif said that is the atmosphere was not right, the same claims of irregularities would begin after the elections.

He said that multiple parties had appealed for time limit for filing of nomination papers should be extended as three days were quite limited.

Usman Dar’s claims

Regarding the incidents in the constituency, he said it would not be appropriate for him to keep giving explanations.

He said that if someone wanted to take political benefit by putting the dignity of his family at stake then he could only apologise and clarify that he had nothing to do with it.

Asif said situations can be ‘created’ to blame political opponents in Pakistan. He said that those making allegations against him had the right to resort to legal platforms.

He added that he could not even think of being involved in the lowly allegations leveled against him.

Possible election delay

Responding to a question to a possible delay in elections of three to four days, Asif said it would make no difference if the intentions were right.

He said it was also possible that the ECP could adjust the election schedule without moving the polling date ahead.

Asif also said that the judiciary could also make a decision in case of an exigency where ill intentions were suspected.

However, he added that nothing beyond a few days of delay should be on the cards.

Lwyer bodies statements

He said that bar councils and associations were respectable institutions and had played an important role in Pakistan’s history. He added that lawyer bodies had often been the vanguard in the fight to save democracy.

However, asking for a constitutional office holder to leave office could not be considered legal, he added.

Level playing field?

He said that the PTI was actually worried about peoples’ reaction to their years in power and the things they had done after leaving power. He said that PTI was trying to play victim by appealing to the SC for a level playing field.

Asif said that he was the first political worker in the country’s history who had faced proceedings under Article 6 intitiated by the federal cabinet.

He said that Shafqat Mahmood had even addressed a press conference against him and disregarded a family affiliation of 55 years.

Asif said that persecution was a medal that political workers could wear on their chests.

He said elections were being made controversial as per a strategy.

Asif said that there were confessional statements from multiple people regarding May 9 so they should face action like people involved in Capitol Hill riots were facing.

He said that PTI’s claims about west’s reactions to Pakistan’s elections were unfounded. He said that those who had set the precedent of May 9 should be punished so it does not happen again.

Asif said that Imran Khan had named his party after justice but had offered General Bajwa a lifetime extension.

He said that politicians had always prepared their own noose in Pakistan. He said that no one had ever made an effort for national consensus in Pakistan.

Asif claimed that Imran Khan had conspired with General (r) Bajwa to pull the carpet from underneath the PDM government’s feet.

The former defence minister said if the PMLN was back tracking from its narrative, the public will hold us accountable.

Baloch long march

On the Baloch long march, Asif said that the first preference should always to be negotiate. He said that history showed that even after wars things were settled through negotiations.

Asif said that the problems in Balochistan went back to the 1950s and he had heard that traffic had been blocked in Islamabad for multiple hours.

He said that the state could identify genuine grievances and address them.

Asif said he had appeared as minister of defence in the missing persons case and had told the court that out of the list many people had already passed away. However, many had crossed borders and were living in multiple countries.

He said that the final number of people missing in Pakistan had come down to around 1,600.

He added that there was an ‘overwhelming’ presence of Balochistan’s personalities at the national level and they should play their role in the matter.