Conflict among institutions would harm country: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that a conflict among institutions would harm the country as a whole and not any single individual. 

Speaking on Geo News show Capital Talk, Asif spoke regarding the uncertainty surrounding the incident in which Interior Affairs Ahsan Iqbal was barred from entering the accountability court.

He said the interior minister’s reaction was justified.

The foreign minister added that when an institution under a minister operates independently, the minister in charge would find it wrong if such treatment was meted out.

“However, an inquiry is underway to clear the matter,” the foreign minister said, adding he believed the issue was caused due to mismanagement.

When asked if it was right for the interior minister to threaten the authorities concerned of his resignation, Asif said whoever was in charge at the accountability court should have been mindful of Iqbal’s position.

The foreign minister implied during the show that the civil-military leadership in the country was on the same page when asked about his recent tweet on fake accounts attempting to create rifts between the government and the armed forces, and the statement Asif made during his recent visit to the United States regarding terrorist elements being present in Pakistan.

Asif said the Army was fighting terrorism in the country and there was no other country in the world which had deployed such a large force to fight terrorism.

“In the past four years, each operation of the army has succeeded.”

During Asif's recent trip to the United States, he had said that Hafiz Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the Haqqani network are liabilities for Pakistan.

"It is very easy to say that Pakistan is supporting Haqqanis and Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. They are liabilities, I accept that they are liabilities. But give us time to get rid of these liabilities. You are increasing our liabilities further," said Asif.

"Don't blame us for Haqqanis, don't blame us for Hafiz Saeeds. These were the people who were your darlings....20 or 30 years back. They were being dined and wined in the White House," added the foreign minister.

"You cannot divorce history from the present or the future."