Pakistan’s Khawaja Asif accuses US politicians of taking bribes from Israel

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that US politicians openly accept bribes from Israel even as his own country was being defamed over corruption. Asif also said that if he had to take a bribe from someone, he would at least accept it in secrecy, but US politicians take bribes openly from Israel.

Asif, speaking to Geo TV during an interview, said that Pakistani politicians were being accused of corruption for no reason, while US politicians are openly taking bribes from Israel.

Also Read: Pakistan FM Ishaq Dar disputes Trump’s claim on India-Pakistan ceasefire

‘I take it in the backroom’

“We are being defamed for no reason. Some say we take money from anyone. They (US politicians) are taking money openly from Israel. At least I will take the money in the backroom. They are taking money in broad daylight,” said Asif.

The Pakistan Defence Minister further alleged that the military bureaucracy and the House of Representatives have submitted to Israeli lobbies, adding that it was like that for a long time, and the situation is still the same.

Asif’s comments come at a time when there seems to be a thaw in US-Pakistan ties after years of diplomatic subbing by Washington.

According to reports in Pakistani media, there will be a meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and US President Donald Trump on September 25 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir will also join the meeting. Earlier, Munir was hosted by Trump at the White House.

Also Read: Spoke to 'very terrific man' Modi, ended India-Pak conflict in 5 hrs: Trump

Pak FM contradicts Trump’s ceasefire claim

Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar contradicted Trump’s claim of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, stating that New Delhi has never accepted any third-party mediation. Dar also said that even though US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on May 10, told him that there would be dialogue between him and India at a neutral venue very soon, but later Rubio said that India has made it clear that any issues regarding Pakistan would be treated as a bilateral one.

“Incidentally, when the ceasefire offer came through, Secretary Rubio told me on May 1,0 around 8.17 in the morning, I was told that there would be very soon, I was told that ‘very soon there will be dialogue between you and India at an independent place,” said Dar.

“When we met on July 25, in a bilateral meeting between me and Secretary Rubio in Washington, I asked him what happened to the dialogue. He said that India says that it’s a bilateral issue,” he added.