Khawaja Asif calls Fazlur Rehman’s NA speech ‘blackmailing’ to secure share in KP govt

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday lashed out at Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, alleging that his speech in the National Assembly a day earlier was an attempt to blackmail the government into giving his party a share in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government.

Fazlur Rehman had questioned Asif’s role as defence agreements and regional security matters were being discussed in Tehran.

“Defence agreements are being made in Iran while the defence minister sits here. Is that also the responsibility of the Interior Ministry?” Fazlur Rehman had asked.

Responding to the criticism in the National Assembly, Asif said the meeting in Tehran was not related to the Ministry of Defence and did not concern Pakistan’s defence arrangements.

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He clarified that the meeting was attended by the Saudi defence minister and the Turkish intelligence chief, rather than their respective defence ministers, adding that his presence was not required.

Asif described Fazlur Rehman’s speech in the National Assembly a day earlier as “blackmailing”, alleging that the JUI-F chief was effectively asking the government to accommodate his interests so that he could join the ruling alliance.

“Maulana’s speech yesterday was blackmailing. It meant: ‘Show me some consideration so that I can join you again,’” Asif said.

Asif also claimed that the JUI-F chief would not have delivered the same speech had his party been given a share in the provincial government.

“I swear that if he had been given a share in the KP government, he would not have made yesterday’s speech,” Asif said.

Asif expressed regret over past political alliances with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, saying political parties should not make compromises merely to come to power. He said it was more dignified to sit on the opposition benches than to form coalitions with parties that later resorted to blackmailing.

Asif criticised Fazlur Rehman’s past political alliances, saying the JUI-F chief had remained associated with various political parties over the years and had benefited from political positions and privileges.

Referring to Fazlur Rehman’s tenure as chairman of the National Assembly’s Kashmir Committee, Asif said he had held the position for around 10 years and challenged him to explain his contributions to the Kashmir cause during that period.

He also recalled that Fazlur Rehman had served as opposition leader under the political arrangement established during former military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s era.