Khawaja Asif Blames Gen (R) Qamar Javed Bajwa for 2018 Political Crisis, Calls for Court Martial

**Islamabad:** Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that former Army Chief General (Retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa was responsible for the political situation that emerged in 2018, insisting that he “should be court-martialed” for his role. Speaking to a private news channel, Asif said the former army chief must face trial for “what he did to the country.”

Discussing the recently approved 27th Constitutional Amendment, Asif said the reform would bring significant improvements to the system. He revealed that several proposals, including introducing a stronger local government structure, were dropped after consultations. He added that the federal government takes foreign loans but also allocates a large portion to provinces, arguing that provinces must share the burden of foreign debt repayment and defence expenditure.

The minister stressed that Pakistan needs a robust local government system, noting that although such a system exists, it lacks real strength at the grassroots level. He said military dictatorships were the only periods when local governments were empowered, while democratic governments failed to strengthen them due to provincial resistance.

Asif added that despite limited resources, the prime minister is ensuring equitable distribution of funds to all provinces. He clarified that judicial transfers are not the prerogative of the executive, and constitutional amendments are never made for any single individual.

Commenting on past political events, Asif said the entire world acknowledges that injustice was done to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case. He noted that Nawaz’s case bypassed lower courts and went directly to the Supreme Court. “Where were the judges’ consciences at that time?” he questioned, rejecting claims that the current amendment undermines the judiciary.

He said all political parties were consulted before the passage of the 27th Amendment, and the same approach will be adopted for the upcoming 28th Amendment.

On political conduct, Asif condemned any disrespect toward women, recalling how Maryam Nawaz was kept in jail even when her mother passed away during the PTI government. He added that during his imprisonment, only his wife and children were allowed to meet him, and he saw no justification for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister visiting detainees.

The defence minister also spoke about regional security, confirming that cross-border violations from Afghanistan continue, saying attackers involved in the Wana Cadet College and Islamabad District Court incidents came from Afghanistan. He appreciated Qatar, China and other friendly nations for efforts to maintain regional peace but said the biggest obstacle remains India’s influence over the Afghan regime.