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Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told the Senate on Thursday that leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) had previously approached the federal government seeking governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, remarks that drew protests from JUI-F senators and repeated interventions from the chair. Addressing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators in the House, Naqvi said: "Barrister Ali Zafar sahib is sitting here. These [JUI-F leaders] are the same people who used to come to us before governor's rule and say, 'Impose governor's rule and rid us of them'." Senator Kamran Murtaza was among those who protested, and the chair repeatedly asked members to avoid cross-talk and let the minister finish.

A row over Iran as well

Naqvi was responding to criticism from JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, including remarks made a day earlier about his visit to Iran. Naqvi rejected the assertion that Pakistani officials had travelled to Iran to negotiate a defence agreement, saying the visit was instead aimed at dealing with the ongoing regional crisis. Reporting of the session also describes Naqvi as saying he travelled on the prime minister's instructions on a diplomatic assignment. The exchange shows how a dispute about provincial governance has become entangled with regional diplomacy.

What the claim does — and does not — establish

Readers should note the limit of what is reported here: this is Naqvi's claim, as reported from the Senate floor, not an independently confirmed account of private approaches by JUI-F leaders, and the reporting checked for this draft records JUI-F protest rather than acceptance of the account. The backdrop is governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which Naqvi has previously defended in parliament, saying the federal government tried to bring the provincial government on board in the fight against terrorism before taking the step. The Senate exchange leaves the underlying dispute over provincial governance unresolved in public debate.

Sources: The News; The Frontier Post.