Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has launched a scathing attack on the nation's former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, accusing him of "begging" for intervention from the United States despite his earlier stance rejecting external influence. 

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Speaking to ARY News, Asif alleged that Khan had shifted his position dramatically, saying, "He once declared 'slavery is unacceptable' but now claims 'slavery should be immediately accepted'."

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Asif went on to question Khan's loyalty, stating, "This person has a history; someone tell me, to whom has he been loyal? Not even his own party members can name anyone he has been loyal to." 

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Defence Minister questions PTI's changing stance

Expressing confusion over the PTI party's recent willingness to engage in talks, Asif asked, "What happened in the last 15 days that PTI agreed to talk? Was it a charm or a spell that made them change their mind?"

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He also warned the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Ayaz Sadiq, to remain vigilant, and said, "Be cautious, don’t be used by them. My prayers are with the success of these negotiations." 

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The Defence Minister emphasised that in negotiations with PTI, all power centres must be included in any negotiation process, ensuring a balanced approach to resolving political differences.

This comes as, earlier, Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Affairs said that Imran Khan, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari should sit together for discussions on resolving Pakistan's problems.

(With inputs from agencies)