Pakistan’s National Assembly witnessed heated political drama after Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman took a sharp swipe at Defence Minister Khawaja Asif over the civilian government’s exclusion from high-level security talks in Tehran.
Taking the floor, Rehman questioned why regional defence matters were being negotiated in Iran while the defence minister remained seated in Parliament, turning Asif’s viral catchphrase against him: “Koi sharam hoti hai, koi haya hoti hai” (Have some shame, have some decency).
The parliamentary jibe came following diplomatic discussions held in Tehran involving Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister, and Turkish intelligence leadership.
The talks, centred around regional security and the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, highlighted the military leadership’s dominant role in executing Pakistan’s foreign and defence policy.
Responding in the House on Thursday, Khawaja Asif rejected Rehman’s criticism, clarifying that no defence agreement was being negotiated in Tehran and that Field Marshal Munir’s visit was focused solely on regional peace initiatives outside the Defence Ministry’s direct mandate.
Accusing Rehman of political opportunism, Asif urged restraint, maintaining that diplomatic security efforts should transcend domestic political divides.
