Khawaja Asif Warns Political Parties Not to Weaken Parliament

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday made a strong appeal to all political parties in Pakistan to preserve the dignity of Parliament and allow democratic institutions to function without obstruction, warning that political rivalries must never be allowed to erode the foundations of the legislature.

Delivering a speech on the floor of the National Assembly, Khawaja Asif pointed to the political histories of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, noting that despite enduring imprisonment and prolonged political hardships, these leaders had consistently chosen constitutional and legal avenues to voice their grievances rather than paralysing democratic processes.

Turning his attention to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the minister directed sharp criticism at the party for what he described as a sustained pattern of disrupting parliamentary proceedings over the past two years — a pattern he linked directly to the party’s decision to condition its participation in the House on the release of its imprisoned leader.

“Institutions and the country are more important than individuals. Personalities come and go, but Pakistan remains,” he stated, underscoring that no single figure should be placed above the sanctity of the state’s democratic framework.

Khawaja Asif acknowledged that political parties hold the full right to pursue relief for their leadership through proper legal and political mechanisms, but drew a firm line at actions that obstruct legislative business or damage Parliament’s credibility. He stressed that legislation is the primary responsibility of Parliament and called on all lawmakers to keep their dissent within democratic and constitutional boundaries.

The minister also acknowledged that many PTI legislators themselves were eager for the House to function smoothly, suggesting the disruptions did not reflect the full will of the party’s parliamentary membership. He warned that repeated interruptions had already taken a measurable toll on Parliament’s effectiveness and public standing.

Kashmir: A National Cause, Not Just a Regional One

Addressing the issue of Kashmir and the voting rights of Kashmiri refugees, Khawaja Asif described the Kashmir cause as a matter of national concern for all Pakistanis, not merely for Kashmiris themselves. He recalled that both Pakistanis and Kashmiris had made deep sacrifices for the cause over decades.

Invoking the founding vision of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the minister reminded the House that Pakistan’s founding father had famously described Kashmir as the country’s “jugular vein” — a characterisation that, he argued, continues to define Pakistan’s irreversible commitment to the region’s future.