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ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stirred fresh political debate after claiming that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is the most powerful minister in the federal government and, in several matters, is not even answerable to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Speaking during a television interview on Monday, Asif delivered unusually candid remarks about Naqvi’s role in the current administration, suggesting that the interior minister operates outside the conventional framework of the federal cabinet. According to Asif, Naqvi has remained largely absent from the government’s routine decision-making process despite holding one of the country’s most influential portfolios. He said he had seen the interior minister attend only “two or three” cabinet meetings since the government took office. The defence minister also questioned Naqvi’s parliamentary presence, claiming the interior minister had appeared in Parliament only seven or eight times. He suggested that if a minister with such influence was publicly expressing dissatisfaction with the existing governance structure, it reflected poorly on the entire government. “If Mohsin Naqvi himself is complaining about the system, then perhaps we should simply go home,” Asif remarked, underscoring what he described as deep institutional weaknesses. His comments came in response to Naqvi’s recent statement warning that Pakistan’s current administrative structure had become too weak to effectively address the country’s long-standing challenges. The interior minister had argued that if the existing governance model continued unchanged, Pakistan could still be facing the same problems a decade from now. He maintained that creating new administrative units or provinces had become essential for improving governance, accelerating development and delivering public services more efficiently. Naqvi said the existing system had outlived its usefulness and was no longer capable of resolving the country’s growing administrative and governance issues. Asif’s remarks have added a new dimension to the ongoing debate over institutional reforms and the balance of power within the federal government. His observations also highlight differing perspectives within the ruling coalition on how Pakistan’s governance challenges should be addressed. The exchange between the two senior ministers is likely to fuel further political discussion, particularly over proposals to create new provinces and reform the country’s administrative framework—an issue that has periodically resurfaced in Pakistan’s political discourse but has remained politically contentious for years.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership cannot distance itself from the recent shooting incident on Rawalpindi’s Mall Road. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry said the incident was deeply regrettable and alleged that the man involved had links with the PTI and had remained in contact with the party’s leadership. According to the minister, the suspect had previously stayed at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House and had met members of the PTI leadership. He also allegedly carried the party’s flag and appeared in social media videos showing attacks on security forces. Chaudhry said a security personnel was injured when the attacker opened direct fire on Mall Road. He argued that the PTI leadership could not simply deny responsibility by claiming that the individual had no connection with the party or suffered from mental health problems. “If his mental condition was not stable, why did he attack a security official instead of his own family or a party leader?” Chaudhry asked. He questioned why the individual had allegedly been placed at the frontline of protests if the party had no association with him. The minister accused the PTI of promoting a political culture based on confrontation, violence and hatred. He said the government had repeatedly urged the party to avoid spreading hostility and unrest among young people. Chaudhry linked such politics to previous violent incidents, including the events of May 9 and November 26, and warned that continuing to promote hatred could lead to further incidents. He also criticised what he described as vandalism and arson carried out in the name of politics. He questioned what the PTI had achieved for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during its long period in power in the province. “Setting things on fire and creating disorder is not politics,” he said, adding that such actions neither served the party nor the province. Referring to future political activities, Chaudhry warned that similar incidents could occur again if party workers continued to be exposed to what he described as hateful and inflammatory rhetoric. He also criticised PTI founder Imran Khan’s statements and speeches, alleging that they had contributed to political polarisation and unrest. Chaudhry further accused PTI supporters of disrespecting security personnel and national heroes, including through social media posts targeting the country’s fallen soldiers. The minister said investigations into the Rawalpindi incident were progressing and that authorities were conducting a transparent inquiry. He assured that the findings would be made public once the investigation was completed. Chaudhry said the government would not allow Pakistan to be pushed into further political instability and warned that those involved in attacks would face legal consequences.