Anti-corruption bureau arrests Pakistan’s former defense minister Khawaja Asif

In this file photo, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif speaks during a joint press conference with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani after the first China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in Beijing on Dec. 26, 2017. (AFP)
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Updated 29 December 2020
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Anti-corruption bureau arrests Pakistan’s former defense minister Khawaja Asif

  • The arrest is in an ‘assets beyond known sources of income’ case
  • Asif’s PMLN party has accused the government of victimizing the opposition with arrests, which it denies 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday arrested prominent opposition leader and former defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the bureau confirmed to Pakistani media. 

A NAB official told the Dawn newspaper that Asif, who is a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), was arrested in an “assets beyond known sources of income case” and the anti-corruption body had been investigating the matter for months.

“Khawaja Asif continuously failed to cooperate during the inquiry,” the NAB spokesperson said.

PML-N chief and former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif reacted to the arrest in a tweet: 

“The arrest of Khawaja Asif is a highly reprehensible incident ... The days of blind political revenge are numbered.”
Asif is a sitting member of parliament and a key leader of the PMLN. His arrest adds to a long list of politicians from opposition parties who have been detaian by NAB since Prime Minister Imran Khan took office in August 2018. The federal government denies victimising opposition politics. 

Asif served as defense and foreign minister I n the government of former PM Nawaz Sharif, who was himself removed from office in 2017 over corruption allegations. Sharif was subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison in 2018. 
 


Islamic military coalition, Pakistan to deepen cooperation to combat ‘terrorism’ — Pakistani military

Updated 02 February 2026
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Islamic military coalition, Pakistan to deepen cooperation to combat ‘terrorism’ — Pakistani military

  • Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition is a 43-member alliance that includes Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, UAE and other nations
  • The Pakistani military statement comes after a meeting between IMCTC secretary-general and the chief of Pakistani defense forces in Rawalpindi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation, including intelligence sharing and capacity building, to jointly combat “terrorism” and “extremism,” the Pakistani military said on Monday.

The IMCTC is a 43-member military alliance that was formed on Saudi Arabia’s initiative in Dec. 2015 to consolidate Muslim countries’ efforts in countering “terrorism.”

A 17-member IMCTC delegation is visiting Pakistan from Feb. 2-6 to conduct a training at National University of Sciences and Technology on “Re-integration and Rehabilitation of Extremist Elements,” according to the Pakistani military.

On Monday, IMCTC Secretary-General Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi held a meeting with Chief of Pakistani Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir to discuss cooperation among IMCTC member states.

“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest were discussed, with particular emphasis on regional security dynamics and enhanced cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing, said in a statement.

“Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism and extremism through collaborative strategies, intelligence sharing, and capacity building among member states.”

The IMCTC features Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Palestine, UAE, Bangladesh and other nations. In 2017, Pakistan’s former army chief Gen. (retd) Raheel Sharif was appointed as the IMCTC commander-in-chief.

During discussions with Major General Al-Moghedi, Field Marshal Munir appreciated the role of IMCTC in fostering stability and promoting coordinated counterterrorism initiatives across the Islamic world, according to the ISPR.

The IMCTC secretary-general acknowledged Pakistan’s significant contributions and sacrifices in the fight against militancy and lauded the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces.

“The meeting underscored the resolve of both sides to further strengthen institutional collaboration for peace, stability, and security in the region,” the ISPR added.

Pakistan enjoys cordial ties with most Muslim countries around the world, particularly Gulf Cooperation Council countries. In Sept. 2025, Pakistan signed a landmark defense pact with Saudi Arabia according to which an act of aggression against one country will be treated as an act of aggression against both.