Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday accused Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman of using religion for political and financial gain. He made the remarks in the Senate, where opposition lawmakers repeatedly interrupted his address amid a growing dispute over Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement in Tehran.
The exchange followed a clash the previous day in the National Assembly, where the JUI-F chief criticised Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. Naqvi used his Senate speech to defend his own role in the talks and to hit back at the opposition party’s leadership.
Naqvi defends his role in the Tehran talks
Naqvi said he had not travelled to Iran by choice. He told the Senate that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had specifically assigned him responsibilities linked to the ongoing regional crisis and conflict.
He rejected the idea that the visit was aimed at negotiating a defence agreement. According to Naqvi, the discussions were meant to manage the regional situation. He quoted himself as saying, “We had gone to Iran to deal with the current crisis and manage it.”
Naqvi accused Fazlur Rehman of misrepresenting the purpose of the meeting. He added that the JUI-F chief had been criticising him for several weeks, and said that political disagreement was acceptable but some lines should not be crossed by politicians.
Row over Khawaja Asif’s remarks and the defence pact claims
The dispute began in the National Assembly on Wednesday, when Fazlur Rehman questioned why Asif had not attended the Tehran discussions, given his portfolio. Naqvi and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir were involved in the diplomatic effort instead. The JUI-F chief also repeated a widely quoted remark by Asif, which drew laughter in the House.
The talks in Tehran brought together Field Marshal Munir, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, along with senior Iranian officials. The participants discussed regional peace and security and agreed to keep dialogue going among the countries involved.
Responding on Thursday, Asif said no new defence agreement was being negotiated in Tehran and that the discussions did not fall within the Defence Ministry’s mandate. He described Munir’s role as facilitating dialogue and promoting regional peace, saying the army chief had helped create conditions for negotiations after the conflict of the past year and a half.
Asif also said Pakistan had already signed two defence agreements. One involves Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, while the other includes Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye and Indonesia. He said he had attended both signings in his capacity as defence minister. He urged political parties to recognise Pakistan’s role in regional diplomacy despite domestic differences, and criticised Fazlur Rehman’s political record, including his past alliances and his decade-long tenure as chairman of the parliamentary Kashmir Committee.
Senate speech cut short amid accusations over state support
As the Senate session heated up, Naqvi accused the JUI-F leadership of praising the state when it served their interests and turning against it when they were denied a share in government. “For them, the state is like a mother only until they can extract something from it,” he said.
He went on to say that the state would no longer provide money or jobs to those who criticised it. “Now onwards, there will be no money and no jobs from the state,” he said. Opposition lawmakers responded by saying that Naqvi himself had used similar language.
Naqvi also alleged that some opposition politicians had privately sought the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before publicly opposing the idea. Addressing PTI Senator Ali Zafar, he claimed these politicians had previously asked the government to impose governor’s rule to remove their rivals, and said he would provide evidence. The claims were not backed by evidence during the speech.
Opposition members demanded that Fazlur Rehman’s earlier remarks about state institutions be expunged from the record, and some accused the minister of pursuing a personal agenda. JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza was among those objecting to Naqvi’s remarks. The presiding officer repeatedly asked members to remain seated and let the minister finish, and said Murtaza would be allowed to respond afterwards.
Naqvi reiterated that the JUI-F leadership used Islam for political purposes, saying, “They use Islam for business. They use Islam for politics.” As the uproar continued, the presiding officer asked him to conclude. Naqvi cut short his speech and took his seat after repeated interruptions, despite the presiding officer’s efforts to restore order.
