Deep state runs US, Pakistan hybrid regime based on consensus, says Khawaja Asif

In an interview, British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan questioned Khawaja Asif that as a defence minister he has to answer to the army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Asif said, “No, it’s not like that… I’m a political appointee, I’m a political worker, you know.”

When Hasan cited the example of how in the US, Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, has the power to fire American Generals, but the same cannot be said for Pakistan, Asif said, “They (US) have a different model over here. It’s called the deep state.”

When he was told that Pakistan was run by the deep state, the Pakistan defence minister said, “You can say that because of our military rulers — it is more visible…”

On being pressed as to where the power lies in Pakistan, Asif called the Pakistani system “hybrid”.

While asking about the power-sharing mechanism, Hasan said, “So it’s equal? You and Asim Munir disagree on something, who gets the last word? Let’s say you want to go left and he wants to go right. Who wins that argument?”

Asif responded by calling the decision-making process to be based on “consensus”. “It’s not equal… We can agree to disagree. It is by consensus, whatever is taking place…”

The comments came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with Asim Munir, met US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Earlier this year, in an interview to Arab News, Asif had defended the “hybrid system” of Pakistan despite not being an ideal democratic government, yet “doing wonders”, calling it a “practical necessity” until Pakistan’s economic and governance problems are resolved.

Days after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed, Asif in an interview with Sky News admitted his country’s history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations. “Well, we have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, you know, and the West, including Britain”, he had said in response to a question if he admits that Pakistan has had a long history of backing, supporting, training and funding these terrorist organisations.

Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan after the terror attack, India at the UN highlighted Asif’s “open confession” and asserted that it “exposes Pakistan as a rogue state fueling global terrorism and destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye”.