Asif said Pakistan possesses valuable mineral resources that have attracted interest from Canada, China, Australia and the United States.
He added that Pakistan would work with whichever country offered a secure and suitable partnership, stressing that foreign investment was necessary to develop these resources.
Commenting on the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the defence minister accused the provincial government of failing to cooperate with the federal government in the fight against terrorism. He alleged that the previous provincial administration had not acted against terrorist hideouts despite knowing their locations, contributing to a rise in militant violence and casualties over the past year and a half.
Asif said national unity was essential to tackling terrorism and expressed hope that a more active provincial administration would help restore government authority across the province. He stressed that intelligence-based operations alone would not be sufficient unless the provincial government maintained its writ in cleared areas.
On the imposition of governor’s rule in KP, Asif said the move had not been planned in advance. He described it as a last resort after other options had been exhausted.
The minister also criticised those opposing the decision, alleging that some had wanted a role in the new administrative arrangement but were now speaking against it because they had been excluded.
Discussing the political developments following the formation of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, Asif said an earlier meeting had supported holding elections immediately. He claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had also favoured early elections, while other participants had preferred to continue the government for another year. He added that he had personally urged former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif to hold elections within a month of the no-confidence vote.
Asif further criticised political opponents, alleging that their objections were driven by their desire for power. He also endorsed remarks made by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Parliament and claimed that Sohail Afridi had been appointed KP chief minister on the advice of Murad Saeed.