Defense Minister Khawaja Asif Supports Nawaz Sharif’s Role in Negotiating Balochistan Issue

Islamabad:Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has expressed support for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s involvement in facilitating negotiations to address the ongoing issues in Balochistan. In a discussion on the matter, Khawaja Asif emphasized that the issue of Balochistan should be addressed through dialogue with all key stakeholders, including active leaders from the province. He suggested that Nawaz Sharif should play a role in this process.

Khawaja Asif noted that it is crucial to have the traditional leadership of Balochistan on board for any decisions. He pointed out that globally, most conflicts are resolved through negotiations. He mentioned that Balochistan’s grievances date back over 50 years, and prominent figures such as Sarfaraz Bugti and Dr. Abdul Malik could play an essential role in leading and contributing to the dialogue.

The Defense Minister further added that Nawaz Sharif had expressed his willingness to contribute to resolving Balochistan’s issues, but due to medical advice, he has been resting and will be able to take up this responsibility after Eid.

Khawaja Asif also reflected on his own visit to Kabul nearly two years ago, where he had been part of a positive dialogue. He expressed regret that the situation has since deteriorated, and stressed the importance of maintaining stable relations with Afghanistan without any cracks in bilateral ties.

On the issue of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khawaja Asif pointed out that the source of many recent terrorist incidents in the region is Afghanistan. He stated that many terrorists involved in these attacks were Afghan nationals, and both governments must take extraordinary steps to improve the situation.

Earlier, PML-N Vice President Khurram Dastgir had mentioned that Nawaz Sharif had advocated for negotiations in Balochistan, a stance echoed by the Defense Minister. Additionally, Khawaja Asif agreed with PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto’s proposal to reconvene the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, stating that if Bilawal succeeds in bringing the NSC together again, it would be a positive development. However, he also emphasized that the PTI’s decision not to participate in the meeting was their own responsibility.