Khawaja Asif urges Mohsin Naqvi to begin governance reforms through Interior Ministry

WEB DESK: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday urged Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to initiate governance reforms through the Interior Ministry, saying the entire nation would support meaningful efforts to improve the country’s administrative system.

Responding to Naqvi’s recent remarks that Pakistan’s governance system had “collapsed” and could no longer effectively address national challenges, Asif said in a post on X that he largely agreed with the interior minister’s assessment.

Naqvi had made the remarks during the Pakistan Economic Summit in Islamabad last week, where he warned that Pakistan would continue to face the same problems over the next decade unless comprehensive administrative reforms were introduced.

Khawaja Asif, however, said institutional reforms should be pursued through constitutional forums, including parliament and the federal cabinet, of which Naqvi is a member. He said strengthening the governance system through constitutional mechanisms would reinforce state institutions.

The defence minister said Pakistan’s institutional development had remained influenced by personal and group interests for decades and stressed the need to free governance from such influences.

He also questioned the effectiveness of discussing major constitutional and governance issues before members of the business community instead of addressing them through relevant state institutions.

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Asif noted that Naqvi had held some of the country’s most influential public offices over the past three-and-a-half years and could have initiated reforms earlier, adding, “Better late than never.”

Referring to the National Action Plan (NAP), Asif said ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had recently highlighted its 13 points. He said one point assigned to the armed forces was being implemented through the sacrifices of security personnel, while the remaining 12 points fell under the Interior Ministry and had yet to be fully implemented.

He urged Naqvi to begin reform by ensuring effective implementation of the National Action Plan and introducing structural improvements within the Interior Ministry, saying the nation would fully support such efforts.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Senator Rana Sanaullah also criticised Naqvi’s remarks, saying those who had benefited most from the existing system were now questioning its ability to function.

Addressing a public gathering in Hattian Bala, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sanaullah said some individuals had achieved in three-and-a-half years what others took decades to accomplish, yet were now arguing that the system was no longer capable of delivering results.

He defended Pakistan’s parliamentary democratic system and maintained that any debate on institutional reforms should take place through democratic and constitutional forums rather than in a way that undermines the country’s parliamentary order.