PTI Supports Fazl After Parliament Clash
PTI supports Fazl after a sharp exchange in the National Assembly, with a delegation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan meeting Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence in Islamabad on Thursday, 29 October 2026. The delegation expressed full support for his speech in the National Assembly and condemned what it described as his character assassination by government ministers.
The delegation comprised PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser and TTAP spokesperson Hussain Ahmad Yousafzai. In a statement shared on X, Qaiser said the visiting delegation backed Fazl’s speech and strongly condemned the character assassination of the JUI-F chief by government ministers.
PTI supports Fazl: what the delegation said
The statement said turning political differences into personal attacks and character assassination was contrary to democratic values, and that respect for political leadership must be upheld in all circumstances. The meeting’s members also condemned the imprisonment of former prime minister Imran Khan’s sisters, alleging that they were being deprived of basic rights and denied access to family members and lawyers.
The participants warned that if any unpleasant situation arose as a result of that conduct, full responsibility would fall on the relevant authorities. They also jointly demanded the public appearance of suspended Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, K-P Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and PTI K-P President Junaid Akbar Khan.
The parliament exchange behind the meeting
During Thursday’s National Assembly session, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif unleashed a barrage of criticism on the JUI-F chief for remarks about Asif’s absence from talks in Tehran, saying no defence agreement was being negotiated there. The ministers’ remarks came a day after Fazl criticised Asif in the National Assembly, questioning the government’s role in discussions related to the Makkah defence pact in Tehran while the prime minister and defence minister remained in Pakistan.
The exchange is the latest round in a longer war of words. In mid-October, Naqvi took a swipe at Fazl over his opposition to the imposition of governor’s rule in K-P, suggesting that the religious-political leader was unhappy at not being offered a role in the new provincial setup. Other government figures, including Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, also assailed his stance, with allegations that he was supporting people accused of backing terrorism.
Federal ministers once again took the JUI-F chief to task on 18 October, accusing Fazl of politicising the security situation and opposing measures they said were intended to combat terrorism. Fazl described the remarks as character assassination and maintained that his criticism was directed at government policies rather than state institutions. He then called for parliament to hold an in-camera session to examine the country’s counterterrorism strategy.
Why the meeting matters now
The meeting ties together three threads that Feature Pakistan has followed this week. It follows PTI’s affirmation of Sohail Afridi as K-P chief minister earlier on Thursday, it sits alongside the Asif-Fazl exchange over the Tehran remarks, and it builds on Fazl’s earlier Charter of Democracy proposal for opposition coordination. The demand for the public appearance of Afridi, Swati and Junaid Akbar links the Fazl meeting directly to the K-P leadership question.
The opposition alignment also matters for parliament itself. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged the opposition to return to committee work earlier on Thursday, so the PTI-TTAP show of support for Fazl signals that the opposition camp is closing ranks even as it argues with the government over K-P. Whether that alignment produces a joint parliamentary move, or stays at the level of statements and meetings, is the next question to watch.
Frequently asked questions
Who met Maulana Fazlur Rehman on 29 October?
A delegation comprising PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser and TTAP spokesperson Hussain Ahmad Yousafzai met him at his residence in Islamabad.
What did the delegation say about Fazl’s speech?
It expressed full support for his National Assembly speech and condemned what it described as his character assassination by government ministers.
What else did the meeting demand?
It demanded the public appearance of suspended K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, K-P Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and PTI K-P President Junaid Akbar Khan.
