What happened

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman clarified that his party's recent criticisms regarding the security situation were aimed at government policies rather than institutions, according to Dawn. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Fazl characterized allegations from federal ministers as character assassination. His response followed comments from Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, who alleged that Fazl was upset after being denied a governance role or governor post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) following the imposition of emergency and governor's rule.

Key facts

  • Fazl called for an in-camera session of Parliament to review national security and establish a consensus counterterrorism policy, according to Dawn.
  • The JUI-F chief described the current government as powerless, alleging that major decisions are made in Rawalpindi while Parliament is simply expected to follow them.
  • Reiterating his opposition to emergency rule in KP, Fazl noted that around 250 JUI-F workers have died in terrorist violence, and recalled his family's opposition to emergency rule in Balochistan during the 1970s.
  • Speaking in Jaranwala, Tallal Chaudhry rejected claims that the setup in KP was political, stating it was an administrative decision with a single agenda to fight terrorism rather than to control resources or distribute governance shares.
  • Chaudhry criticized Fazl for referencing the 1971 separation of East Pakistan after losing the 2024 elections, while offering to work with stakeholders to implement the National Action Plan.

Why it matters

According to Dawn, the dispute highlights intense debate over counterterrorism strategy and provincial authority in Pakistan. Federal ministers maintain that emergency administrative setups are necessary measures to fight terrorism, whereas opposition leaders like Fazl argue that executive decisions undermine provincial rights and that security policies must be decided transparently within Parliament.

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Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 17, 2026 · Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash