Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi came down hard on Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the Senate on Thursday, a day after the latter's scathing critique in the National Assembly, saying his respect for the Maulana ended after he spat on the state.
The House also took up a motion moved by Minister of State for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik for the constitution of a parliamentary committee on electoral reforms. The exchange of hot words marred the House proceedings, as JUI-F lawmakers repeatedly interrupted the interior minister, asking him to avoid personal attacks.
Speaking in the House, Naqvi said the JUI-F had been commenting on him for many days but he preferred not to respond, as he personally had heartfelt respect for Maulana Fazl. But when yesterday in the National Assembly, Fazl said, "I spit on the state", the respect ended.
Maulana Fazl on Wednesday had questioned why the interior minister had gone to Iran for a defence-related matter instead of the relevant minister, while also passing remarks against him as well as Khawaja Asif. Mohsin Naqvi clarified that the visit to Iran was not for any defence agreement, and that he went there in connection with the current crisis on a special task given by the prime minister.
"I have no fondness for going abroad," he made it clear. The minister alleged that the Maulana's politics was conditional, charging that if they get a share in government, everything is fine, but if they have no role in government, then they start opposing it.
This triggered an uproar from the opposition benches, with JUI-F senators, including Kamran Murtaza and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, seen exchanging hot words. However, the interior minister continued his speech amid sloganeering, and said, "As long as they get money from the state, the state is good.
When they don't get money, they turn against it. If you criticise, have the courage to listen to the response."
The minister went on to allege that the JUI-F uses Islam for business and politics, but they will not get money and jobs from the state anymore. He also claimed that before the imposition of governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the same people used to ask for getting rid of the provincial government.
Addressing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary leader Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, the minister claimed that they used to ask the government to get rid of the KP government. JUI-F parliamentary leader Senator Kamran Murtaza strongly objected to the minister's language and insisted he could not speak on a personal agenda in the House.
He remarked, "If you want to speak on a personal agenda, hold a press conference." To this, the minister again claimed that a personal agenda was pursued yesterday. The chair, Shahadat Awan of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), tried to calm tempers and said that being a member of the House, Naqvi could speak, and ordered the expunging of objectionable words.
Senator Murtaza claimed, "Those who want to speak against you, you give it the colour of speaking against the country. The way this person insulted us today in the House had not happened even during Musharraf's tenure." Meanwhile, the session concluded amidst ongoing political tensions.