'Not going anywhere': Pakistan's Mohsin Naqvi backtracks after 'system collapse' remarks
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Not going anywhere': Pakistan's Mohsin Naqvi backtracks after 'system collapse' remarks")
Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi dismissed rumours of the Shehbaz Sharif government’s collapse
Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi dismissed rumours of the Shehbaz Sharif government’s collapse, insisting it will complete its five-year term. His governance remarks, Bilawal Bhutto’s criticism, and Khawaja Asif’s rebuttal have fuelled speculation over Pakistan’s political stability.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday (Aug 5) dismissed his previous speculation over the future of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and have now said that the prime minister would complete his full five-year constitutional term. Last week, Naqvi claimed that Pakistan’s system of governance has “collapsed” and is no longer capable of addressing its mounting political and economic challenges,. He also claimed to have unearthed what he calls the “biggest scam" in the country’s history. He suggested that multiple pillars of the state machinery, including judges and politicians, were part of it.
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“There is no question of the government going anywhere. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will complete his full five-year constitutional tenure,” Naqvi told reporters. The speculation around Sharif's future increased after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the “countdown of the Shehbaz government has begun".
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif slams Naqvi
Naqvi’s remarks were countered by defence minister Khawaja Asif. Asif said that Naqvi had been in a “very powerful post” for the past three years, but in several matters, he was not even answerable to the prime minister. “If someone with such authority and influence still raises complaints, then other cabinet members should go home,” Asif said. He also criticised Naqvi saying he hardly attends cabinet meetings and was present only two or three times. “Naqvi sahib, begin the change in the system with your ministry,” Asif said, adding, “As an example, bring about a revolution in the PCB. Cricket fans are not satisfied with PCB’s performance.”
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Is Munir propping up Naqvi to send a broader message?
Munir, who already enjoys unbridled power in Pakistan, is propping up Naqvi to send a broader message to Sharif. As challenges of Balochistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir mount for Munir, he could seek to further consolidate his hold by backing Naqvi for a bigger political role. Naqvi first made his intentions clear at the Pakistan Economic Summit last week where he said that the country’s governance system had collapsed. His remark was largely seen as a veiled swipe at PM Shehbaz Sharif. Naqvi also called for creating new administrative units or provinces to improve accountability and access to justice.
His views were promptly backed by the military spokesperson, who said that an administrative reset was required not only for improving governance but also from a security standpoint.It has been argued over the years that Pakistan’s existing provinces are too large and centralised to govern effectively.
But, Pakistan’s major political parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), resist any alteration for their own political reasons. PML-N and the PPP derive their electoral strength from Punjab and Sindh provinces, respectively. Thus, any change to provincial boundaries is likely to affect political control.
