Khawaja Asif dismisses resignation rumours

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday dismissed social media rumours suggesting he had resigned from his post due to a recent controversy.

The claims were made by X user Zubair Ali Khan, who alleged in a series of posts that Asif had submitted his resignation amid backlash over the arrest of Sialkot’s Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR) on corruption charges.

According to the user, Asif had demanded the ADCR’s release or acceptance of his resignation, and later retracted it following a meeting with PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif in Murree.

Read also: Over 50pc Pakistan's bureaucrats have property in Portugal: Khawaja Asif

In response, Khawaja Asif posted a reply on X, calling the allegations baseless. “With apologies, this gentleman is expressing his wishes — not facts,” Asif wrote. He also shared a screenshot of the claim, stamped with "FAKE" in red.

معذرت کیساتھ ان صاحب نے اپنی خواھشات اس ٹویٹ میں لکھیں ھیں ۔ حقیقت نہیں pic.twitter.com/Awgm5EJHMT

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

The user further speculated that a powerful figure connected to the Defence Ministry was involved in the ADCR's arrest, and that Asif had gone incommunicado afterward, turning off his phones and becoming unreachable to both colleagues and media.

These rumours gained traction after Asif made a critical statement on Tuesday, claiming that many Pakistani bureaucrats had acquired property and were seeking citizenship in Portugal.

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

“A significant portion of our country’s bureaucracy has already invested in Portugal and is preparing for immigration,” Asif wrote. “They’ve looted billions and are now enjoying a comfortable post-retirement life.”