Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif came under renewed criticism on social media as the hashtag #رنگ_بازی_کا_باجا_خواجہ (Rang Baazi Ka Baja Khawaja) gained traction on X , with users questioning his political conduct and past electoral controversies.
The trend emerged after several users accused the senior PML-N leader of focusing on political rhetoric instead of addressing concerns related to his ministerial performance. Many posts revisited controversies surrounding the 2018 and 2024 general elections, while also referencing his recent criticism of political opponents.
Among the most widely shared posts was one by a netizen ,who accused Khawaja Asif of returning to parliament through "dishonest elections" and urged him to apologise to the people of Sialkot. The post also referred to Khawaja Asif's own past remarks about alleged irregularities in the 2018 elections, when he claimed polling agents were removed before vote counting and unofficial result sheets were issued instead of signed Form-45s.
At the same time, not all reactions were critical of the government's broader performance. One widely circulated post pointed to Federal Minister Aleem Khan instead, noting that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had himself acknowledged that Aleem Khan, through effective strategy and hard work, had increased his ministry's revenue by Rs60 billion. The post went on to question why Khawaja Asif continued to raise objections when the prime minister himself had praised a cabinet colleague's performance.
The viral post further questioned Khawaja Asif's credibility by referring to the NA-71 Sialkot election dispute, where PTI-backed independent candidate Rehana Dar challenged his victory in court, alleging that the results recorded on Form-45 differed from the final Form-47 announced by election authorities. The matter became part of broader legal proceedings following the 2024 general elections.
The hashtag also featured criticism of Khawaja Asif's recent political statements and his use of strong language against rivals, with many users arguing that elected leaders should prioritise governance and accountability over political confrontation.
As of now, Khawaja Asif has not publicly responded to the latest social media trend or the allegations circulating under the hashtag.
