Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has publicly accused the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of employing double standards by selectively contesting upcoming by-elections. The minister alleged that the PTI is shying away from facing the electorate in Punjab due to a fear of certain defeat, while simultaneously preparing to contest in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) where it controls the provincial administrative machinery.
In a detailed post on social media platform X, Asif framed the PTI’s strategy not as a principled electoral campaign but as a “game of convenience.” He stated, “This is not an election but a game of convenience — where victory is assured, they contest; where defeat is inevitable, they boycott.” This criticism directly challenges the PTI’s stated reasons for boycotting some polls and contests others.
Elaborating on his allegations, the Defence Minister claimed that the PTI’s confidence in K-P stems not from public trust but from a reliance on “rigging and administrative machinery.” In contrast, he asserted that the party is “unwilling to face the people’s verdict” in Punjab, implying that the PTI lacks genuine popular support in the province.
Concluding his sharp rebuke, Khawaja Asif labeled this approach as the “true face of PTI’s politics,” summarising it as being “afraid of losing in Punjab and propped up by manipulation in K-P.” The allegations mark a significant escalation in the war of words between the ruling coalition and the PTI, setting a contentious stage for the by-elections.
