ISLAMABAD: Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has dismissed speculation regarding his resignation, calling the claims “completely fake.” Asif responded to the rumors by sharing a screenshot of a tweet from journalist Zubair Ali Khan, which claimed Asif had resigned due to the controversy surrounding the arrest of Sialkot’s additional deputy commissioner revenue (ADCR) on charges of financial corruption.
In his post, Asif marked the tweet as “fake,” writing, “With apologies, this gentleman has expressed his wishes in this tweet, not the reality.”
Khan’s tweet suggested that Asif had resigned in response to the ADCR’s arrest, demanding either the release of the official or his resignation would be accepted. Khan also alleged that an “influential person” within Asif’s department was involved in the arrest.
Further speculation included claims that Asif had met with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Murree, where the PML-N president advised him to withdraw his resignation. Following the meeting, Khan claimed Asif had gone unreachable, switching off his phones and moving to an undisclosed location.
These rumors gained traction after Asif made statements alleging that many bureaucrats in Pakistan were acquiring property in Portugal and seeking citizenship, claiming they had embezzled billions of rupees. Asif criticized politicians who he claimed “feed on the leftovers” without holding foreign citizenship, unlike the bureaucrats. He also mentioned a key figure, Mr. Virk, allegedly facilitating the bureaucrats’ moves to Portugal.
