Fazl draws ire over K-P governor's rule remarks

LAHORE:

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday took a swipe at JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman without naming him, saying a political party chief was upset over being left out of the proposed imposition of governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and not being offered the governorship.

In remarks circulated in the media as an informal interaction with journalists in Lahore, Naqvi was quoted as saying that the politician had relied on the establishment for decades and had even secured his party's tickets through it.

He said such politicians were in no position to point fingers at others, adding that political differences should be debated through arguments and facts rather than abusive language and allegations.

However, no formal media interaction took place.

Naqvi also questioned why some political leaders had only recently begun expressing concern over the rights and resources of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), asking why they had remained silent when the merged districts were allegedly denied their due share.

He said the rights of former FATA residents should be treated as a matter above political interests.

Saying that K-P was facing serious security challenges, the interior minister urged political leaders to help restore peace and eliminate terrorism rather than fuel confrontation and unrest. He said the province needed peace, stability and collective efforts instead of political confrontation.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and her information minister also joined the chorus against Fazl, accusing him of supporting those backing terrorism.

Fazl, one of the most vocal opponents of governor's rule in K-P, has rejected the move and blamed the government for the failure of talks, countering its claim that PTI's negotiating team repeatedly changed its position on the chief minister's cues.

In a statement on X, Maryam said she had not expected a senior politician who had himself been a victim of terrorism to support those allegedly backing terrorism.

She said it was regrettable that, instead of holding accountable those responsible for K-P's deterioration through incompetence, corruption and poor governance, he was speaking in their favour.

Maryam questioned whether the people Fazl was defending had attended the funerals of martyrs during their 13 years in power in the province. She accused them of providing terrorists with shelter, resources, safe havens and land from which to launch attacks against Pakistan.

She further criticised the use of provincial resources for sit-ins and protests, alleging that years of PTI rule had been squandered through corruption and incompetence.

Referring to Fazl's remarks about the military leadership, Maryam said his comments about the field commander who had led Pakistan to a historic victory had hurt patriotic Pakistanis.

Maryam argued that Fazl's position was particularly difficult to understand given that his own party had suffered losses to terrorism and that his associates had been killed in attacks.

She also pointed to the personal attacks and abusive language directed at him in the past by those whose cause he was now defending.