‘Koi sharam hoti hai?’: Pakistani lawmaker Maulana Fazlur Rehman mocks defence minister Khawaja Asif over Munir’s Iran visit

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman mocked Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif as he took a jibe at him in the National Assembly over Army Chief Asim Munir’s participation in a high-level regional security meeting in Iran, and questioned why the defence minister was not attending the talks.

Fazl raised the issue during his address to the National Assembly on Wednesday, referring to a meeting in Tehran attended by Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, alongside senior officials from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

“A defence pact is taking shape in Iran, a meeting is under way (there), and the defence minister is sitting here,” Fazl said, drawing laughter from his fellow lawmakers and desk-thumping in the House.

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‘The interior minister is required there as well?’

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl leader then went on to point out Naqvi’s presence in the Tehran meeting, and asked, “The interior minister is required there as well?”

Maulana Fazlur Rehman then turned Khawaja Asif’s own words against him, repeating a phrase the defence minister had previously used to taunt Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

“There is your respect and stature — koi sharam hoti hai, koi haya hoti hai (have some shame, show some modesty),” he said, again triggering laughter in the National Assembly even as Asif sat with a sombre expression.

Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan shared a clip of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s speech on X, and it soon went viral.

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Rehman’s comments have put the spotlight back on the unequal balance of power between Pakistan’s civilian government and its powerful military leadership, at times involving decisions on national security and foreign policy.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a prominent Pashtun (Pathan) cleric-turned-politician from Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Asif responds, denies defence pact being negotiated in Tehran

Asif responded in the National Assembly on Thursday and denied that a defence pact was being negotiated in Tehran. He said the discussions had nothing to do with Pakistan’s defence or any related matter. He argued that Munir had assumed a role focused on maintaining peace and dialogue following the military conflict with India last year.

The meeting in Tehran brought together Munir, Naqvi, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, alongside senior Iranian officials, to discuss regional security and cooperation.

The talks took place under the framework of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in August.

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A joint statement issued after the talks said the participants had agreed to continue their dialogue to strengthen cooperation among the four regional countries, particularly on peace and security.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also called for greater regional unity, saying closer cooperation among Muslim nations would help address shared challenges and external pressure.