Overview
- A high‑level meeting in Tehran on October 26 brought Pakistan's chief of defence forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi together with senior Iranian, Saudi and Turkish officials to discuss regional security under the Makkah framework.
- JUI‑F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman publicly mocked Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in the National Assembly for not attending those talks, saying a defence pact was being shaped in Tehran and using the taunt “koi sharam hoti hai, koi haya hoti hai.”
- Asif and Naqvi responded in parliament by denying any defence agreement was negotiated in Tehran and saying their roles were diplomatic tasks assigned by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif rather than ministry‑level treaty negotiations.
- Parliamentary sessions were repeatedly disrupted by shouted exchanges, objectionable language was expunged by presiding officers, and opposition parties including PTI and TTAP rallied behind Fazlur Rehman, linking the row to recent disputes over governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the treatment of detained opposition figures.
- The dispute leaves unresolved questions about civilian oversight of security diplomacy and could deepen political polarization, so lawmakers and observers will be watching for calls for a parliamentary inquiry or formal oversight of Pakistan's role in regional mediation.