ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday warned Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to respond firmly to remarks about the state. Therefore, his remarks prompted protests in the Senate.
Naqvi accused the JUI-F leader of exceeding the bounds of political criticism. He argued that Fazlur Rehman’s language about spitting on the state had ended the personal respect he previously held for him.
The minister alleged that JUI-F leaders welcomed state benefits when they shared power but turned against institutions when excluded. He also accused them of using religion for political and financial gain. Opposition lawmakers objected to those allegations.
JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza challenged Naqvi’s choice of words, while other members interrupted his speech. The presiding officer called for order and asked the minister to address the chair.
Fazlur Rehman’s earlier remarks had used the description of the state as a mother to criticise what he characterised as oppression. Speaking on Wednesday, he argued that the state should behave towards citizens as a mother would. He also questioned the governor’s rule and emergency measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He had also questioned Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s absence from discussions in Tehran and Naqvi’s involvement in those engagements.
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Responding in the Senate, Naqvi said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had assigned him specific responsibilities on the regional crisis. His Iran visits were undertaken on those instructions, he explained.
He denied that the discussions involved negotiating a defence agreement, saying they aimed to manage tensions in the region.
Separately, Asif defended his absence during Thursday’s National Assembly proceedings. “No defence agreement was being negotiated in Tehran,” he said.
Naqvi further claimed that JUI-F leaders had previously asked the federal government to impose governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to remove the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration. He directed the allegation towards PTI senators, including Barrister Ali Zafar.
Opposition members continued protesting, and Naqvi concluded his address after repeated interruptions.
