A major political confrontation unfolded in the National Assembly on Thursday as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman launched a scathing attack on Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. The criticism centred on Asif’s reported remarks questioning the identity of residents in Rawalakot, the epicentre of ongoing protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Tensions Boil Over in Parliament
Speaking on the floor of the house, Maulana Fazlur Rehman urged restraint and warned that emotional government reactions were unbecoming. He directly criticised Asif, stating that his remarks were not befitting of a defence minister and would only serve to further inflame an already volatile situation.
“When the government’s reaction becomes emotional, that is not bef of the government’s stature,” Fazlur Rehman said. ” have handed fighting to Khawaja Asif and reconciliation to Ishaq Dar.” He revealed that he had received a formal charter of demands from the Awami Action Committee and forwarded it to the government, but had yet to receive a response. He welcomed the committee’s decision to postpone its planned march toward Muzaffarabad.
Bilawal Demands Prime Minister Control Ministers
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a key coalition partner in the federal government, did not mince words, questioning why certain ministers were creating difficulties rather than resolving issues.
“Why do we have ministers who say that residents of Rawalakot are not Kashmiris?” Bilawal demanded, noting that the minister responsible had still not apologised. “One federal minister, instead of extinguishing the fire, poured more fuel on it.” He urged the prime minister to control his team and suggested that space be given to Maulana Fazl to play a mediating role.
Expanding his critique, Bilawal also targeted coalition dynamics, challenging the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) over Karachi’s local government system. He warned that if the government was only offering “lollipops instead of accepting their demands, the MQM-P should leave the federal coalition.
Government Responds with Accusations of Election SabotageResponding on behalf of the government, PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah accused the proscribed Awami Action Committee of attempting to block the AJK elections through arson and mob tactics. He claimed that all 38 demands presented by the committee a year ago had been addressed, citing subsidies on electricity and wheat for AJK residents.
“The real purpose of the protest call is to stop the AJK elections,” Sanaullah alleged. “Depriving refugees of voting rights is a deviation from the very purpose of the freedom movement.” He stated that a six-member committee had been formed to make recommendations on the refugee seats issue, but accused the JAAC of rejecting multiple options, including an All-Parties Conference.
Sanaullah acknowledged the weight of Maulana Fazl’s remarks on Kashmir, calling it Pakistan’s jugular vein, and said the government would welcome any mediating role the JUI-F chief chose to play. However, he insisted that “the issue of seats will not be resolved through rallies and sit-ins.”
