Federal Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has criticised Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of JUI-F, for opposing governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Chaudhry accused him of seeing the new administrative setup as a chance to gain a share of power. He made the remarks while speaking to media in Jaranwala.
Chaudhry said the arrangement was introduced only to fight terrorism, and not to make room for political parties or form a new coalition government. He said Fazlur Rehman appeared to believe that, with PTI no longer in the picture, his party should receive a portion of the spoils, as others were also seeking theirs. “These are not spoils of war,” he said.
Minister rejects claim that KP move is a power deal
Chaudhry said the federal government had tried several times to secure political backing for counterterrorism efforts before deciding to impose governor’s rule. He added that the arrangement was not meant to redistribute political positions or enable coalition-building. “This arrangement is not for anyone’s share, for politics, for forming a coalition or for establishing a government,” he said.
He also said the administrative council included a woman whose husband and father-in-law had been killed in terrorist attacks. According to Chaudhry, she was included to represent the families of martyrs. He said the council had been formed on professional grounds and would stay in place for the shortest possible period.
Failed talks with JUI-F preceded governor’s rule
Chaudhry said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally weighed a proposal from Fazlur Rehman for another round of negotiations, and that the federal cabinet had discussed the matter. He said the prime minister considered the proposal both the night before and after Fajr prayers. However, subsequent contact with the JUI-F chief did not lead to a breakthrough.
“After Maulana Sahib also failed, this step was taken,” Chaudhry said, referring to the imposition of governor’s rule. He said the minister had held a high regard for Fazlur Rehman but disagreed with his political stance. “Your stature does not warrant such bitter remarks,” he said, urging the JUI-F chief to support the country’s constitutional and national interests.
Chaudhry rebuts election criticism and mining claims
Chaudhry also challenged Fazlur Rehman’s criticism of the 2024 general elections, noting that the JUI-F chief had lost to PTI and other parties. He questioned why Fazlur Rehman had brought up the events of 1971 in relation to the election results. “You remembered 1971 after losing the 2024 elections. This happened a long time ago,” Chaudhry said.
The minister also rejected claims that governor’s rule had been imposed to make it easier to extract mineral resources from the province. He asked how invoking Articles 232 or 234 of the Constitution could automatically allow mining, particularly in areas where insecurity had limited public movement and business activity.
Chaudhry further criticised PTI founder Imran Khan for earlier proposing that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan be allowed to open an office in Peshawar. He quoted Khan as saying such offices should be permitted after negotiations failed, and said the government would offer one in Peshawar if the group were allowed to open an office anywhere in Pakistan. Chaudhry said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had held numerous meetings with provincial representatives in earlier talks with PTI leaders. He said the government was willing to accommodate PTI’s political demands but would not compromise on counterterrorism cooperation.
Chaudhry added that the National Action Plan would be implemented fully and that the federal government wanted to restore the political process in KP as soon as possible.
