According to Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Pakistan has shown the Islamic world a new way, emphasising that nations must rely on their own power for safety and that foreign military deployments cannot ensure a country’s security.

Speaking at the University of Central Punjab’s annual convocation in Sialkot on Saturday, the defence minister congratulated the graduates and stated that young people with education and skills may be extremely important to the nation’s progress.

He added that Pakistan’s diplomatic standing had greatly improved and that the country had earned a major place on the international scene, especially after its triumph in Marka-e-Haq.You cannot be protected by foreign-established military bases. In reference to the tensions in the Middle East, he stated, “Real security comes from your own strength, while such bases are created to serve vested interests.”

He claimed that the biggest foreign military base in the area was built to defend the Zionist state and that some nations had mistakenly thought these sites were meant to protect their own security.

According to Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s achievement of an international position that it had not attained in its previous 78 years was a source of pride.

He added that during Marka-e-Haq, Pakistan had vanquished an enemy five times larger than itself, alluding to the military conflict with India. Although there had been conflicts in the past, he said, there was still some uncertainty about their results. However, during the most recent conflict, Indian leaders themselves had admitted defeat.

The defence minister further asserted that US President Donald Trump had discussed the downing of Indian aircraft multiple times and alluded to India’s defeat eleven times.

He commended Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s leadership, stating that despite Pakistan’s decades-long battle against terrorism, the nation’s progress was still ongoing.

Khawaja Asif emphasised Pakistan’s diplomatic role and stated that Islamabad was contributing significantly to attempts to achieve a cease-fire between the United States and Iran. He continued by saying that tensions between Iran and Arab nations had also decreased as a result of Pakistan’s actions.

He expressed optimism that Pakistan will be successful in its efforts to advance global peace.

Regarding his political career, the minister stated that he had served the nation for 36 years and had been imprisoned multiple times.

He said that he had been imprisoned for seven months under the PTI administration and that the people who had detained him had not disclosed the charges against him.

Despite being a politician, Khawaja Asif claimed he normally avoided talking about politics in educational settings. He also remembered that since the start of his political career, Sialkot had shown him a great deal of respect.

Speaking about accountability organisations, he condemned the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) operations, claiming that these organisations frequently made arrests before deciding which cases to pursue against specific people.

He lamented that during the previous 78 years, this has continued to be a part of Pakistan’s political history.