Naqvi criticises JUI-F in Senate; party senator accuses him over Senate dignity
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told the Senate that JUI-F had crossed a line and would get a response. JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza accused him of violating the dignity of the House.
- Naqvi said there is no longer room to respect Fazlur Rehman after remarks about the state
- JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza accused Naqvi of violating the Senate's dignity
- Naqvi also spoke on blue passports and visa-free travel before a National Assembly committee
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi criticised the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) during a heated Senate session. He said the party had crossed a line and would now receive a response. His remarks followed comments attributed to party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman about the state.
According to Daily Pakistan, Naqvi said: "ریاست پر تھوکنے کی بات پر مولانا فضل الرحمان کے احترام کی کوئی گنجائش نہیں رہی", meaning there was no longer any room for respect for Fazlur Rehman over the remark about spitting on the state. Daily Times reported that Naqvi said he had respected the JUI-F chief but the recent remarks damaged that respect.
Naqvi accused JUI-F of supporting the state only when it received political or financial benefits. He also said: "آپ کو ریاست سے نوکری ، پیسے اور ٹکٹ نہیں ملیں گے", which means jobs, money and tickets would not come from the state. He further accused the party of using religion for personal gain.
He said Fazlur Rehman had been criticising him for several weeks. Naqvi also said JUI-F members had asked the government to impose governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On his recent trip to Iran, Naqvi rejected claims that an agreement was reached there and denied that the visit aimed at a defence agreement. He said he went to Tehran to help manage the ongoing regional crisis, on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza accused Naqvi of violating the dignity of the Senate and criticised his involvement in several government matters. He alleged that lawmakers were being contacted and urged to speak against Fazlur Rehman. He also asked whether Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was present when talks allegedly took place about giving JUI-F a share in power.
Murtaza argued that decisions taken under the Pakistan Democratic Movement government were the responsibility of the then prime minister and cabinet. Senator Parvez Rashid said the exchange between Khawaja Asif and Fazlur Rehman was parliamentary banter and not a tension.
Naqvi also told the National Assembly standing committee on interior that the decision on blue passports rests with the House. He said there are 70,000 blue passports, 22,000 have been cancelled and they are currently suspended. Sitting MNAs will get them according to their term, and the government is moving to e-passports to end fraud.
Why it matters
The public clash between the government and a major opposition party shapes national politics. The passport and visa remarks also concern Pakistani travellers and lawmakers.
