'We are being defamed': Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif says US politicians 'openly' take bribes - watch

Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif has said that his country is being accused of corruption, while the United States is openly taking money from Israel and the "Israeli lobby".

Speaking to Pakistani news channel Geo TV, Asif said, "We are being defamed for taking bribes. They (Americans) accept bribes from Israel openly. If I have to take bribes, I will do it in a backroom somewhere."

He added, "Their (US) military bureaucracy, the House of Representatives and their ruling elite have submitted that they finance Israel and Israeli lobbies. We are being defamed, but they do it openly."

🚨:Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif says he’s being defamed over bribery claims, accused American politicians of taking bribes from Israel, and quipped he’d take bribes “in a secret room” if he had to. pic.twitter.com/PGtJVIuTWP

— IndiaWarZone (@IndiaWarZone) September 17, 2025

Earlier in August, Asif had alleged that many of Pakistan’s senior diplomats were using black money to move to Portugal.

In a post on X, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader claimed that "more than half of the bureaucracy of our dear homeland has already acquired property in Portugal and is preparing to obtain citizenship."