Khawaja Asif rejects Fazl's criticism over absence from Tehran talks

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the National Assembly on Thursday that his presence was not required at a recent regional meeting in Tehran, rejecting criticism from Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Asif maintained that the gathering did not concern the formation of a new defence pact or fall within his ministry’s mandate.

The Tehran meeting brought together Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei also participated.

Officials attending the meeting agreed to continue discussions aimed at expanding cooperation among Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on regional peace and security. The engagement attracted political attention in Islamabad because senior defence and security representatives attended while Pakistan’s defence minister remained in the country.

Fazl raised the matter during Wednesday’s National Assembly session, questioning why Asif had not attended while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was present. His remarks, delivered amid laughter and desk-thumping, included a pointed reference to a phrase previously used by Asif against the PTI.

Responding a day later, Asif said the talks were not focused on Pakistan’s defence and no defence alliance was being negotiated in Tehran. He argued that Field Marshal Munir had assumed a regional peace and dialogue role following Pakistan’s military conflict with India last year and had travelled as part of that diplomatic effort.

Asif said he had participated in matters involving the Makkah defence pact and the Badr memorandum of understanding because those agreements fell within his responsibilities. The Tehran engagement, he said, had a different purpose and therefore did not require the defence minister’s participation.

The minister further credited the military leadership with helping create conditions for dialogue and reducing the risk of a wider confrontation. He referred particularly to regional tensions involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen, suggesting that the discussions could contribute to progress toward peace in the coming days or weeks.

The parliamentary exchange subsequently broadened into a heated political confrontation. Asif accused Fazl of directing misplaced criticism at Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts and argued that international initiatives should be acknowledged despite domestic political differences. He also criticised the JUI-F leader’s record of participating in several past governments and holding senior parliamentary positions.

Asif concluded by urging senior lawmakers to conduct politics within constitutional limits and work collectively on national security rather than pursue group-based rivalries. The confrontation highlights how Pakistan’s emerging regional security role has become part of domestic political debate, with further scrutiny likely as dialogue among Islamabad, Tehran, Riyadh and Ankara continues.