Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, Allama Tahir Ashrafi, has expressed that during the time when the then prime minister embarked on his visit to Russia, former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa was in agreement. Speaking exclusively to ARY News, Allama Tahir Ashrafi conveyed that the retired COAS, General Qamar Bajwa, had given his endorsement to the decision made by the former prime minister to undertake the Russia visit.
Ashrafi pointed out that the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had multiple opportunities to rectify the situation, but due to a lack of trust, those efforts did not succeed. According to him, an individual closely associated with the former prime minister attempted to mediate and find a resolution. However, that individual ultimately withdrew from the process, reportedly after receiving assurances of the PTI chief's commitment.
The religious scholar remarked that the PTI leader displayed a tendency towards impatience, leading to several mistakes. He suggested that the remaining issues were effectively managed by Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Ashrafi expressed concern about the state of Pakistan's relations with Islamic nations during the PTI government, characterizing them as strained. While not mentioning a specific leader or country, he hinted that Pakistani rulers often turned to these countries for assistance during challenging times.
Responding to inquiries about upcoming elections, the chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council conveyed that even the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was uncertain about the timing of the general elections in the nation. Ashrafi went on to assert that if the current system begins to demonstrate effective governance, people might overlook the election-related matters and focus more on the government's performance.