LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday claimed that the “head of a party” was “extremely upset” over not being appointed governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“The head of a party is extremely upset over being denied a role in the new setup in KP and not getting the governorship,” Mr Naqvi claimed, while speaking to journalists in Lahore.
Although he did not name anyone, observers believe he was alluding to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has been critical of the federal government over the imposition of governor’s rule in KP.
The minister alleged that this politician had remained “dependent on the establishment for decades to advance his political career”.
“These are the same politicians who remained in politics for decades with the support of the establishment, and this politician even relied on the establishment to arrange air tickets for the members of his party,” he further alleged.
He said such politicians had little justification for criticising others after benefiting from the same system they now denounced.
“Political differences are part of politics. However, instead of using inappropriate language and making allegations, political leaders should speak on the basis of arguments and facts,” the minister added.
Mr Naqvi’s remarks came days after the Centre imposed governor’s rule and emergency in KP, citing the provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism.
In the days preceding the move, political tensions between the Centre and the opposition, including the PTI-led KP government, had remained high after jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party announced a protest march to Islamabad to demand his release.
Intense negotiations between the two sides a week before the imposition of governor’s rule failed to yield results, while the Maulana was seen as someone who could help defuse tensions between the Centre and the PTI. Both sides reportedly held separate meetings with the JUI-F chief to seek his intervention in breaking the deadlock.
After the federal government imposed governor’s rule in KP, the Maulana accused the Centre of reneging on its commitments despite his mediation efforts.
Merged districts
On Thursday, the JUI-F chief again criticised the federal government, accusing it of depriving provinces of their rights. Addressing a rally in Multan, he recalled that his party had expressed reservations over the merger of the former tribal areas with KP under the 25th Constitutional Amendment in 2018.
“We were not against the merger, but we said that it was an issue of the political future of the people of tribal areas,” he said, alleging that residents had not been consulted.
Questioning the Centre’s justification for imposing governor’s rule on the grounds of inadequate cooperation in counterterrorism efforts, he said the security situation in Balochistan was worse than in KP.
He alleged that governor’s rule had not been imposed in Balochistan because the province’s chief minister “praises you”.
“In KP, the PTI is in power. […] Where opposition is in power, you topple it. And the resources of former tribal areas, which had become part of the province, you have taken control of them by imposing emergency,” he remarked.
During his interaction with journalists on Friday, Mr Naqvi also spoke about the former tribal areas, questioning concerns over the allocation of resources to the merged districts.
“When the [merged] districts … were not getting their rightful share for years, why were these people silent?” he asked.
The minister said political leaders had failed to speak out for the rights of people in the former tribal areas and stressed that their rights and resources should be treated as an issue above political
interests.
Mr Naqvi further said KP was facing serious security challenges and urged political leaders to play a constructive role in restoring peace and combating terrorism.
“Instead of fanning the flames and creating unrest, political leaders should play their role in restoring law and order and eliminating terrorism,” he said, adding that the province needed peace, stability and collective efforts rather than political confrontation.
Punjab CM slams Fazl
Separately, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz criticised the JUI-F chief in a post on X.
She said it was not expected of a senior politician such as him to support those who facilitated terrorism, an apparent reference to the PTI, which the Centre accuses of backing terrorism.
She added that it was unfortunate that he was supporting the party instead of holding accountable those she blamed for KP’s decline due to “incompetence, ineptitude and corruption”.
She also criticised the Maulana for his remarks about Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, apparently referring to his comments at the Multan rally about the centralisation of power.
The Punjab CM concluded by saying that the PTI alone was “responsible for the end of its government in KP”.
Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2026
