ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has challenged Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s position that it never sought a share in arrangements under governor’s rule, while describing an unusually serious deterioration in his relationship with Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Asif said disagreements with the JUI leader were not new, but relations had not previously reached their present state.
Asif also accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of internal divisions, claiming that competing groups within the party were confronting one another.
Those comments represented the defence minister’s assessment; the supplied account did not include responses from JUI or PTI.
The defence minister dismissed JUI’s assertion that it had never requested a share under governor’s rule, characterising the position as an expression of innocence.
However, the supplied report did not specify what particular position, appointment, or administrative role was allegedly sought.
It also did not identify the individuals involved in any discussions or provide documentary evidence supporting the allegation.
The available material records his rejection of JUI’s position without resolving the disagreement between the two sides.
The governor’s rule controversy formed one part of a wider exchange in which Asif defended the government and criticised Fazlur Rehman’s approach.
Asif said he had maintained good personal relations with Fazlur Rehman despite their political differences.
According to the minister, earlier disagreements had never pushed their relationship to its current level of strain. He also said he had initially been reluctant to respond immediately to the JUI leader.
The remarks suggested that Asif viewed the latest dispute as more serious than previous exchanges. Nevertheless, he did not provide a detailed account of every development that had contributed to the deterioration.
Asif presented the breakdown as exceptional in degree, while making clear that disagreement itself had long been part of their relationship.
Asif Urges Fazlur Rehman to Face Proceedings
The defence minister said that if Fazlur Rehman had a clean record, he should face the proceedings initiated against him.
The supplied report did not identify the institution handling those proceedings, describe the allegations involved, or establish their procedural status. It therefore provides no basis for drawing conclusions about their merits or possible outcome.
Asif’s remarks should not be read as a finding of wrongdoing. They record his position that Fazlur Rehman should confront the process rather than avoid it.
The minister placed the issue within the broader experience of political leaders facing difficult circumstances. He cited Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif as politicians who had also passed through such periods.
Asif said politicians had endured these situations before and could face them again. His comparison sought to portray legal and political pressure as a recurring experience among Pakistan’s political leadership, rather than an exceptional circumstance affecting one individual.
PTI Faces Claims of Competing Internal Groups
Asif also claimed that PTI contained several groups, describing them as being in conflict with one another.
The supplied report did not name those groups, identify their leaders, or describe specific incidents supporting his assessment. It also contained no PTI response to the allegation.
The interview therefore ended with several contested political claims still unresolved. Asif challenged JUI’s account of governor’s rule discussions, defended the government against criticism, and levelled allegations concerning both provincial governance and PTI’s internal cohesion.
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The immediate development was a sharper public expression of disagreement. Whether the exchange leads to further confrontation or renewed engagement remains unclear from the available account.
Primary keyword: Khawaja Asif JUI governor’s rule
Focused keywords: Khawaja Asif Fazlur Rehman dispute; JUI governor’s rule denial; Khawaja Asif Naya Pakistan interview; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa corruption allegations; PTI internal divisions.
