Federal ministers on Thursday responded to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s remarks regarding a recent huddle in Tehran comprising the Makkah defence pact countries and Iran.
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ministers → respond → countries
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the meeting was not related to defence.
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meeting → say → defence
Hence, Asif said his presence was not required, while Naqvi explained the reasons for his participation.
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Naqvi → say → participation
The meeting brought together top officials from Iran and member countries of the Makkah Defence Alliance — including Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin.
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meeting → bring → Munir
The huddle agreed to “continue their dialogue to bolster cooperation among the four regional nations, including in the areas of regional peace and security”.
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huddle → agree → peace
On Wednesday, Fazl referred to the development during his address in the National Assembly (NA) and commented: “A defence pact is taking shape in Iran, a meeting is under way (there), and the defence minister is sitting here.”
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minister → refer → way
Amid laughter and desk thumping in the Lower House, he referred to Naqvi’s presence at the Tehran huddle and questioned: “The interior minister is required there as well?”
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minister → refer → huddle
Then, taking a jibe at Asif, he repeated the defence minister’s phrase that he had used against the PTI.
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he → take → PTI
“There is your respect and stature — koi sharam hoti hai, koi haya hoti hai (have some shame, show some modesty),” he said, breaking into laughter.
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he → be → laughter
Responding to him in the NA on Thursday, Asif said no defence pact was taking shape in Tehran, nor was the discussion focused on Pakistan’s defence or any related matter.
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discussion → respond → defence
He said CDF Munir had “assumed a role for Pakistan” following last year’s military conflict with India.
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Munir → say → India
That role, he said, was of “peace and dialogue so that peace is established in our region”.
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peace → say → region
Since then, he noted, Pakistan has signed two defence pacts — the Makkah defence pact and the Badr Memorandum of Understanding.
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Pakistan → note → Understanding
“I was involved in those pacts as I am the defence minister,” he explained, adding that the meeting in Tehran was “not the defence ministry’s mandate”.
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meeting → involve → Tehran
The CDF had gone there “as a messenger of peace and paved the ground” for the huddle, he said, ostensibly referring to Tehran last week.
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he → go → Tehran
During that visit, the CDF had proposed the Tehran meeting, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
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CDF → propose → Baghaei
Asif said this was the situation and he was “not needed in Tehran”.
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he → say → Tehran
He added that the CDF had played a role in averting a confrontation.
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CDF → add → confrontation
“The situation could have deteriorated as far as the Yemen issue is concerned […] There has been some talk and peace may emerge in the coming days or week as far as Saudi Arabia versus Yemen [sic] is concerned.”
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Arabia → deteriorate → Yemen
Asif advised Fazl to be the bigger person and said his criticism was “misplaced”.
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criticism → advise → Fazl
The defence minister further said Pakistan’s and the CDF’s role at the international level should be acknowledged, keeping political differences aside.
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role → say → differences
He said one should at least show some dignity.
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one → say → dignity
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Naqvi also responded to Fazl’s remarks on his participation in the Tehran meeting.
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Naqvi → respond → meeting
The proceedings were marred by loud exchanges between the interior minister and JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza.
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proceedings → mar → minister
Naqvi clarified that he and CDF Munir undertook the visit to “handle the ongoing crisis in Iran”.
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he → clarify → Iran
On Fazl’s query of why Asif had not gone there, he said, “He (Fazl) did not know that this [trip] was not related to defence.”
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trip → go → defence
Defending his inclusion, the minister said: “I do not go out of my own volition.
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I → defend → volition
I have been especially tasked by the prime minister sahib; he has entrusted me with some matters regarding the current crisis of the [Iran] war, because of which I go.”
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I → task → which
Naqvi said he wanted to ask Fazl and his party’s senators present there just one question and then noted that JUI-F leaders had made very “disgusting statements about institutions” three to four months ago.
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leaders → say → institutions
This seemingly prompted Senator Murtaza to object, and the presiding chairman immediately said he was expunging the word “disgusting” from Naqvi’s remarks.
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he → prompt → remarks
‘Full of contradictions’
In his remarks, Asif alleged that Fazl’s past “is full of contradictions”.
“
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past → allege → contradictions
You taunt me with ‘have some shame, show some modesty’, but you should also have some shame and show some modesty.
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you → taunt → modesty
How many perks have you enjoyed over the past 40 years?
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you → enjoy → years
You have been violating the very principles that you have been highlighting,” Asif said.
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Asif → violate → that
He recalled that Fazl had also offered to mediate with Kabul.
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Fazl → recall → Kabul
“Were you the foreign minister?” he questioned, alleging that the move was aimed at “value addition to his politics and leverage that to extract maximum advantage from the government”.
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move → question → government
Asif said Fazl had been in the government with every political party, making an incomplete remark: “When you don’t get a share in the power —”
“When you delete the past from your memory and attack your rivals — at least I don’t have that courage.
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I → say → courage
When I speak, my past is fresh in my mind; that if I say this, whether I would be taunted that we supported General Ziaul Haq’s government,” he went on to say.
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he → speak → government
The defence minister recalled that Fazl was part of the Musharraf government, had also been an opposition leader in the House and also served as the Kashmir Committee chairperson.
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Fazl → recall → chairperson
He said a person serving as the head of such a committee that raises issues at an international forum should have “impeccable credentials”.
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that → say → credentials
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
