'Not defence ministry's mandate': Asif responds to Fazl's remarks about his absence at Tehran huddle
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif responded on Thursday to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s remarks regarding the former’s non-participation in a recent huddle in Tehran. The meeting brought together officials from member countries of the Makkah Defence Alliance — Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff…
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif defended himself against Maulana Fazlur Rehman's criticism over his absence from a recent Tehran meeting. The meeting, attended by officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, aimed to "continue dialogue to bolster cooperation among the four regional nations." However, Asif insisted that no defence pact was being formed and that the discussion did not centre on Pakistan.
He highlighted that Field Marshal Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff, took on the role of "peace and dialogue" following India's military conflict last year, and that Pakistan had signed two defence pacts since then. The meeting in Tehran was not a mandate of the defence ministry, but rather a role played by the Chief of Defence Forces, Asif said.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
