Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday refuted rumours circulating on social media that he had stepped down from his position following a controversy.
Asif clarified the matter after an X user named Zubair Ali Khan, in a series of posts on the platform late Wednesday night, alleged that the defence minister had handed in his resignation over a controversy but had withdrawn it and was now unreachable.
Replying to the post that levelled the allegations against him, Asif wrote: “With apologies, this gentleman has written his wishes in this tweet. Not reality.”
He shared a screenshot of the post thread, edited with a red stamp marking it as “FAKE”.
The X user, a former journalist, had alleged that the minister resigned due to “intensified controversy regarding the arrest of the additional deputy commissioner revenue (ADCR) of Sialkot a few days ago on charges of alleged financial corruption”.
“In the resignation sent to Dr Tauqeer Shah, advisor to the prime minister’s office, Khawaja Asif stated that either the ADCR should be released or his resignation should be accepted,” the post alleged.
Khan also suggested that an “influential person” was behind the arrest, who was a subordinate of the defence minister’s department.
Later, he posted an update, further alleging that Asif and former premier Nawaz Sharif had held a meeting in Murree, during which the defence minister was persuaded to withdraw his resignation on the PML-N president’s advice.
“After the meeting, Khawaja Asif is out of reach to everyone; neither any minister nor any journalist can contact him. Khawaja Asif has turned off all his numbers and has moved to an unknown location!” he alleged.
The rumours spread after Asif said that a large portion of Pakistan’s bureaucracy was seeking shelter and citizenship in Portugal with billions in hand.
“More than half of the bureaucracy of our dear homeland has already acquired property in Portugal and is preparing to obtain citizenship,” Asif said in a post on Tuesday.
“These are well-known bureaucrats. Yet, after devouring billions of rupees, they are comfortably living a retired life.”
He added that politicians “eat the leftovers and make a fuss, with neither plots nor foreign citizenship because they have to contest elections”.
“The largest role in providing shelter to bureaucracy and other elites in Portugal is being played by Mr Virk”, he said.