Educated, skilled youth key to Pakistan's development, says Khawaja Asif

He said Pakistan had earned a prominent position on the global stage, particularly following its victory in Marka-e-Haq, adding that the country's diplomatic standing had improved significantly. "Overseas bases established by foreign powers cannot protect you.

Such bases are created to serve vested interests, while real security comes from your own strength," he said, referring to Pakistan's response to India. Khawaja Asif said it was a matter of pride that Pakistan had achieved an international standing that it had not attained during its previous 78 years.

Referring to the military confrontation with India, he said Pakistan had defeated an adversary five times larger than itself during Marka-e-Haq. He added that although wars had been fought in the past, some ambiguity had remained over their outcomes, but Indian leaders themselves had acknowledged defeat after the latest confrontation.

The defence minister also claimed that US President Donald Trump had referred to India's defeat 11 times and mentioned the downing of Indian aircraft on several occasions. He praised Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir's leadership, saying Pakistan's journey of achievements was continuing, while the country had been fighting terrorism for several decades.

Highlighting Pakistan's diplomatic role, Khawaja Asif said Islamabad was playing an important part in efforts to secure a ceasefire between Iran and the United States. He added that Pakistan's efforts had also helped reduce tensions between Iran and Arab countries.

He expressed hope that Pakistan's efforts to promote peace around the world would succeed. Speaking about his political career, the minister said he had been serving the country for 36 years and had faced imprisonment on several occasions.

He said he had spent seven months in jail during the PTI government, adding that those who arrested him had failed to establish what charges he faced. Khawaja Asif said he generally avoided discussing politics at educational institutions despite being a politician.

He also recalled that Sialkot had given him considerable respect since the beginning of his political career. Commenting on accountability institutions, he criticised the functioning of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), saying such institutions often made arrests first and decided later what cases to build against individuals.

He regretted that this had remained part of Pakistan's political history over the past 78 years.