By our correspodent
ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi as one of the most powerful ministers in the government, claiming that he is not accountable to the prime minister on several matters.
Speaking on Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, Asif said Naqvi, despite being the interior minister, was not fully part of the government’s regular system of decision-making.
“I have seen Mohsin Naqvi in cabinet meetings only two or three times,” Asif said, referring to Naqvi’s attendance at cabinet sessions.
The defence minister also claimed that Naqvi had attended parliament only around seven or eight times. Asif’s remarks came in response to Naqvi’s recent criticism of the functioning of the state system and his calls for reforms. “If Mohsin Naqvi is now complaining, then perhaps we should all go home,” Asif said, questioning the criticism coming from a minister who, according to him, holds a powerful position within the government.
The defence minister’s comments highlight apparent differences within the government over the functioning of state institutions and the process through which proposed systemic reforms should be pursued. Asif has previously argued that major institutional changes should be discussed and implemented through parliament and the cabinet, rather than through informal forums.
His latest remarks are likely to add to the debate over the role and influence of senior ministers within the federal government, particularly regarding decision-making, accountability and institutional authority.
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