Defence Minister Denies Resignation Rumours

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday refuted claims circulating that he had resigned from his position due to a supposed controversy related to the arrest of Sialkot’s ADCR by anti-corruption authorities.

Asif addressed the rumors on X, stating that the social media post claiming his resignation was merely someone’s wishful thinking and not based on reality.

Asif’s statement was a direct response to a post by Zubair Ali Khan, who identifies as a journalist on X, alleging that the defence minister had tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Zubair’s post claimed that Asif’s resignation letter to Dr. Tauqeer Shah, an advisor at the PM Office, demanded the release of the ADCR or the acceptance of his resignation.

The journalist further stated that the Sialkot additional deputy commissioner (revenue), also said to have been a returning officer in the 2024 elections, was apprehended by the anti-corruption department for alleged financial irregularities and subsequently remanded for five days.

Zubair also asserted that the defence minister met with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif in Murree, expressing his concerns, but Nawaz advised him to withdraw his resignation.

Additionally, Zubair claimed that Asif had become unreachable, turned off his phones, and relocated to an undisclosed location.

The defence minister has firmly denied all these assertions, including the claims regarding his resignation.

These rumors surfaced after Asif’s recent criticism of the country’s senior bureaucracy, where he alleged that many officials are investing in properties in Portugal with the intention of settling there.

In a recent post on X, the politician had suggested that over half of the bureaucracy is secretly investing in Portugal, aiming to gain citizenship.

He also claimed that a bureaucrat, known to be a close associate of former chief minister Usman Buzdar, allegedly received Rs4 billion in Salami at his daughter’s wedding.

In a subsequent post on Wednesday, Asif reiterated his claims, mentioning an individual named “Virk” who he said was instrumental in providing refuge to bureaucrats and other elites in Portugal.