Fact Check; Is Khawaja Asif Resigned as Defence Minister?

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has firmly denied rumours circulating on social media about his alleged resignation. The claims, which gained traction late Wednesday night, were dismissed by the minister as false and baseless.

What Happened?

A user on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), named Zubair Ali Khan, posted a thread claiming that Khawaja Asif had submitted his resignation over a recent controversy involving the arrest of the Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR) of Sialkot. The post further alleged that Asif had sent the resignation to Dr Tauqeer Shah, an advisor to the Prime Minister, and demanded the release of the official or acceptance of his resignation.

According to the thread, the resignation was later withdrawn after a meeting with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Murree, following which Asif reportedly went off the radar, turning off his phone and becoming unreachable.

Khawaja Asif Responds

Khawaja Asif responded directly to the claim on X, stating: “With apologies, this gentleman has written his wishes in this tweet. Not reality.”

He also posted a screenshot of the original thread with a large red stamp labeled “FAKE” to emphasize that the information was fabricated.

بیوروکریسی اور دوسری اشرافیہ کی پرتگال میں پناہ گاہیں مہیا کرنے میں سب سے بڑا کردار ایک ورک صاحب کر رہے ھیں۔ https://t.co/mDDqywAg7t

— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) August 6, 2025

Origin of the Rumors

The rumors emerged just days after Khawaja Asif made strong statements about Pakistan’s bureaucracy, accusing many of them of hoarding wealth and seeking foreign citizenship, particularly in Portugal.

“More than half of the bureaucracy of our dear homeland has already acquired property in Portugal and is preparing to obtain citizenship,” Asif posted on Tuesday.

He added that politicians, unlike bureaucrats, “eat the leftovers” and have no foreign citizenship because they must contest elections.

Asif also named a person, Mr. Virk, for allegedly helping elites secure shelter in Portugal.