LAHORE: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has apparently directed his criticism at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman amid the latter’s opposition to the proposed imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking informally to journalists in Lahore, Naqvi alleged that the head of a political party was deeply upset over not being given a role in the proposed governor’s rule or being offered the position of governor.
Although he did not explicitly name the politician, his remarks appeared to target Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the context of the ongoing political debate.
Naqvi criticised politicians who, he alleged, had relied on the establishment for decades to advance their political interests.
He claimed that some had even depended on the establishment to arrange air tickets for their party’s political activities.
He said political differences were legitimate but argued that political leaders should rely on facts and arguments rather than abusive language and accusations.
The interior minister also questioned the concerns recently expressed by some political leaders over the allocation of resources to the districts of former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
He asked why they had remained silent when those districts were allegedly denied their rightful share of resources for years.
Naqvi stressed that the rights and resources of the people of former FATA should remain above political interests.
Referring to the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said the province was facing serious security challenges and urged political leaders to contribute to restoring law and order and eliminating terrorism rather than escalating political tensions.
He maintained that the province needed peace, stability and collective efforts instead of political confrontation.