When Questioned On India's Strike, Pakistan's Khawaja Asif Fumbles: 'Can't Hear...'
Last Updated:
Asif's interaction on international platform hasn't gone down well with his political colleagues as well, with a woman MP advising that he shouldn't go live on air.
A new morning and a fresh fodder by Khawaja Asif to the social media trolls. This time Pakistan's defence minister was seen fumbling on a news channel when asked for proof on India's strike. 'I can't hear you properly," Asif said clumsily.
May be there was a technical issue or a network issue, and Pakistan's defence minister couldn't really make out what the anchor was asking him. But then, Asif's image and his recent statements amid India-Pakistan tension leave less scope for doubt.
Asif's interaction on international platform hasn't gone down well with his political colleagues as well. While one criticised his 'got to know from social media" comment, a woman MP said, 'Don't go live on international platforms if you can't defend you country. At least don't mock your state."
ऐसे कौन पेलता है बहन, वो भी अपने ही मंत्रियों को! 😂 pic.twitter.com/d0qoI0nutd — Kapil Jain (@kapiljaink3) May 9, 2025
An X user, @rakeshmosa17314, said that he used a trick similar to Asif's during his 'major project presentation". Another user said that the minister needs hiring aid.
A retired Pakistan army officer a day ago warned his country to rethink against attacking India as they have mere six lakh soldiers. But beyond the physical strength, a look at how India and Pakistan have recently projected themselves on international forums says a lot more than meets the eye.
While social media users are having a field day with Khawaja Asif's statements, India's envoy to US, Vinay Kwatra, received applause. When a CNN anchor asked Kwatra if it is a religious war between Pakistani Muslims and Indian Hindus, the envoy answered, 'It's India's attack on terrorists who killed our civilians."
Meanwhile, Asif was responded with a sharp reaction by CNN anchor Becky Anderson. When he said that he got to know about Indian missiles being shot down in Pakistan through social media, Anderson quickly interjected, saying, 'I'm sorry, we didn't ask you here to talk about social media content. I'm asking specifically for the evidence, details. For example, was any Chinese equipment used to down these Rafale jets, as I understand you are alleging to be?"
Days before this Pakistan's defence minister sent shockwaves when he admitted on Sky News that their country has a history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations as 'dirty work" for the West.
'You do admit, sir, that Pakistan has had a long history of backing and supporting and training and funding these terrorist organisations," the anchor reconfirmed.
'Well, we have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, you know, and the West, including Britain," replied Asif.
First Published:
May 10, 2025, 14:11 IST
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
15 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Embarrassing moment': Trump and Melania booed at Kennedy Center
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were booed as they attended the opening performance of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday night. Video footage from the event shows the couple entering the venue and waving to the audience, who respond with a chorus of boos as they make their way to their seats. The video soon went viral on social media, sparking reactions. One person commented on X: 'It's hard for maga brains to understand this but..... A lot of people hate trump.' Another wrote, 'Trump just got BOOED after arriving at the Kennedy Center for a performance of Les Misérables. There were some cheers, which is expected because he and his buddies have taken over the Kennedy Center and installed their own.' A third person wrote, 'I guess Trump didn't realize that any place where art and culture is highlighted wouldn't have a Maga audience. Also in attendance were Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance. The Vances were reportedly booed earlier this year during a separate appearance at the Kennedy Center to watch the National Symphony Orchestra. CNN reported last month that several cast members of Les Misérables chose not to perform on the night of Trump's visit. According to sources, the cast was informed they could opt out. Both ensemble members and lead actors declined to perform as a form of protest after Trump appointed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center. The administration also replaced much of the existing board with conservative allies and named Richard Grenell, former acting Director of National Intelligence under Trump, as the Kennedy Center's president and interim director. In response to the cast's protest, Grenell issued a statement, saying, "The Kennedy Center will no longer fund intolerance. Any performer who isn't professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won't be welcomed.' 'In fact, we think it would be important to out those vapid and intolerant artists to ensure producers know who they shouldn't hire – and that the public knows which shows have political litmus tests to sit in the audience," he continued. 'The Kennedy Center wants to be a place where people of all political stripes sit next to each other and never ask who someone voted for but instead enjoys a performance together.'
Hans India
16 minutes ago
- Hans India
AP sports policy among the best in country: SAAP chairman
Rajamahendravaram: Andhra Pradesh has introduced one of the best sports policies in the country, thanks to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's strong commitment to the development of sports, said Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) Chairman Ravi Naidu. Inaugurating the Godavari Pushkaralu Indoor Sports Complex at Venkataramaiah Nagar in the second division on Wednesday, he said that Andhra Pradesh's sports policy goes beyond those of other Indian states. Foundation stones were laid for 142 development projects and inauguration ceremonies were held for 19 works, totalling Rs 58.41 crore in investments. Speaking at the public gathering, Ravi Naidu stated that the new policy includes a comprehensive plan to promote sports from the grassroots level. The reservation quota for sportspersons in government jobs has been increased from 2% to 3%, and Olympic gold medalists will now be rewarded with Rs 7 crore and a Group 1 government job. In the latest DSC notification, 421 posts have been reserved under the sports quota, Naidu said. He also mentioned that athletes achieving success at the state and national levels are being given significant support by the government. Expressing his delight over the inauguration of the Indoor Sports Complex, he said that after Tirupati, Rajamahendravaram is the only city in the state to offer rifle shooting facilities. Plans are underway to introduce water sports shortly as well. Municipal Commissioner Ketan Garg said the government is giving priority to sports and is providing the necessary infrastructure to support athletes. He also stated that 25 parks are being beautifully developed, and efforts are being made to improve 20 traffic junctions across the city. Rajamahendravaram City MLA Adireddy Srinivas said that the government aims to transform the city into a major sports hub. The Godavari Pushkaralu Indoor Sports Complex will stand as a milestonein the city's history, created not just to offer basic amenities to pilgrims during Pushkaralu, but also to promote sports, he added. The complex was built with a total budget of Rs 3.41 crore, Rs 1.91 crore from municipal general funds, and Rs 1.5 crore from SAAP funds. It includes facilities for carroms, chess, table tennis, shooting, snooker, billiards, and a gym. It is expected to generate an annual revenue of Rs 10 lakh for the municipal corporation. MLA added that under the Khelo India initiative, a multi-purpose sports complex worth Rs 50 crore is being planned at the city's lorry stand area. Speaking on the occasion, MLC Somu Veerraju described Khelo India as a remarkable initiative aimed at identifying and nurturing sports talent. He said the objective is to enable Indian athletes to make their mark on the global sporting stage by providing the necessary facilities and encouragement. AP Settibalija Corporation Chairman Kudupudi Sattibabu, Ex-Corporator Varre Srinivas, JSP leader Y Srinivas, SE (Engineering) M Ch Koteswara Rao, Executive Engineers P Rita and Madhavi, CMM Ramalakshmi, and other municipal officials and staff participated.
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
Deal to get US-China trade truce back on track is done, says Trump
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was very happy with a trade deal that restored a fragile truce in the US -China trade war, a day after negotiators from Washington and Beijing agreed on a framework covering tariff rates. The deal also removes Chinese export restrictions on rare earths minerals and allows Chinese students access to US universities. "We made a great deal with China. We're very happy with it," Trump told reporters before a performance at Washington's Kennedy Center on Wednesday evening. "We have everything we need, and we're going to do very well with it. And hopefully they are too." Earlier, Trump used his social media platform to offer some of the first details to emerge from two days of marathon talks in London that had, in the words of US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, put "meat on the bones" of an agreement reached last month in Geneva to ease bilateral retaliatory tariffs that had reached crushing triple-digit levels. "Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval with President Xi and me," Trump said on Truth Social. "Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China. Likewise, we will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities (which has always been good with me!). We are getting a total of 55per cent tariffs, China is getting 10per cent ." A White House official said the 55per cent represents the sum of a baseline 10per cent "reciprocal" tariff Trump has imposed on goods imported from nearly all US trading partners; 20per cent on all Chinese imports because of punitive measures Trump has imposed on China, Mexico and Canada, associated with his accusation that the three facilitate the flow of the opioid fentanyl into the US ; and pre-existing 25per cent levies on imports from China that were put in place during Trump's first term in the White House. Lutnick said the 55per cent rate on Chinese imports is fixed and unalterable. Asked on Wednesday on CNBC if the tariff levels on China would not change, he said: "You can definitely say that." Still, many specifics of the deal and details on how it will be implemented remain unclear. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers that the deal would not reduce US export restrictions on high-end artificial intelligence chips in return for access to Chinese rare earths. "There is no quid pro quo in terms of chips for rare earths," Bessent told a US Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing. China's commerce ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment and more information. Framework for a deal Officials from the two superpowers had gathered at a rushed meeting in London starting on Monday. The meeting followed a call last week between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping that broke a standoff that flared just weeks after the preliminary deal reached in Geneva. The Geneva deal had faltered over China's continued curbs on critical minerals exports, prompting the Trump administration to respond with export controls preventing shipments of semiconductor design software, jet engines for Chinese-made planes and other goods to China. Lutnick said the agreement reached in London would remove restrictions on Chinese exports of rare earths minerals and magnets and some of the recent US export restrictions "in a balanced way," but did not provide details after the talks concluded around midnight London time (7 p.m. EDT). "We have reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus and the call between the two presidents," Lutnick said. Both sides will now return to present the framework to their respective presidents for approvals, he added. "And if that is approved, we will then implement the framework," he said. In a separate briefing, China's vice commerce minister, Li Chenggang, also said a trade framework had been reached in principle that would be taken back to US and Chinese leaders. 'Back to square one' Trump's shifting tariff policies have roiled global markets, sparked congestion and confusion in major ports, and cost companies tens of billions of dollars in lost sales and higher costs. US stocks drifted lower on Wednesday but have recouped most of the losses suffered earlier in the spring during Trump's wave of tariff announcements. "It's a done deal, according to President Trump, but we haven't seen any details, which is why I think the market is not reacting to it yet. As with just about everything, the devil is in the details," said Oliver Pursche, senior vice president and adviser at Wealthspire Advisors in Westport, Connecticut. The World Bank on Tuesday slashed its global growth forecast for 2025 by four-tenths of a percentage point to 2.3per cent , saying higher tariffs and heightened uncertainty posed a "significant headwind" for nearly all economies. The US -China deal may keep the Geneva agreement from unravelling over duelling export controls, but does little to resolve deep differences over Trump's unilateral tariffs and longstanding US complaints about China's state-led, export-driven economic model. "If China will course correct by upholding its end of the initial trade agreement we outlined in Geneva - and I believe after our talks in London, they will - then the rebalancing of the world' largest economies is possible," Bessent told a separate House of Representatives hearing hours after returning from the London talks. The two sides left Geneva with fundamentally different views of the terms of that agreement and needed to be more specific on required actions, said Josh Lipsky , senior director of the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center in Washington. "They are back to square one, but that's much better than square zero," Lipsky said. It was not immediately clear from Trump's comments where things stood regarding the timeline for a more comprehensive deal that was reached last month in Geneva, a deadline set at that time for August 10. William James in London, and Sachin Ravikumar; Ethan Wang, Shi Bu, Yuhan Lin and Alessandro Diviggiano in Beijing, Caroline Valetkevitch in New York; Writing by David Lawder, Kate Holton and Liz Lee; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Paul Simao, Jamie Freed and Leslie Adler)
