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Asif Agrees with Naqvi’s Assessment, Calls for Action on NAP
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has responded to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s recent remarks that Pakistan’s governance system had “collapsed,” urging him to begin reform efforts from within his own ministry .
In a post on X, Asif said he “more or less personally agree[d]” with Naqvi’s assessment that the system had been “held captive to factional and personal interests for decades” . However, he argued that meaningful change should be pursued through Parliament and the federal cabinet—forums of which Naqvi is a member—rather than through speeches to the business community .
Asif pointed out that Naqvi had occupied “some of the country’s most powerful positions for the past 3.5 years” and could have initiated reform efforts during that period . He specifically urged Naqvi to begin by ensuring full implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) , noting that the military’s spokesperson had recently highlighted that one of the 14 NAP points assigned to the armed forces was being implemented through sacrifices, while the remaining 12 fell under the Interior Ministry and had yet to be implemented .
“Mohsin Naqvi sahib, begin the change in the system with the implementation of NAP; begin the change in the system with your ministry,” Asif said, adding that “the entire nation is with you” .
In a separate post, Asif also urged Naqvi to bring a “revolution” to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) , which he chairs alongside the interior ministry, saying cricket fans were not satisfied with its performance .
Sanaullah Defends Parliamentary System, Criticises Naqvi’s Remarks
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Senator Rana Sanaullah also criticised Naqvi’s remarks, saying those who had benefited from the existing system were now claiming it was no longer capable of functioning .
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 could no longer move forward . He defended Pakistan’s parliamentary democratic framework and said concerns about the system should be debated through democratic institutions rather than used to undermine the parliamentary order.
Sanaullah also defended cabinet decision-making, saying decisions are made collectively and any objections should be raised through proper channels .
Background: Naqvi’s Call for Administrative Reset
The debate began when Naqvi, speaking at the Pakistan Economic Summit in Islamabad, described the country’s governance system as having “collapsed” after decades of failure . He called for the creation of new administrative units or provinces, arguing that decentralisation was essential for justice and opportunity .
He warned that the country would remain trapped in recurring crises without structural change . “Whether you agree or not, the system we have been living under has collapsed,” Naqvi said .
DG ISPR’s Remarks on Governance
The debate gained further momentum after DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, during his press conference, stressed that good governance is key to Pakistan’s security and stability . He said the National Action Plan, an agreed consensus among political parties over the past 12 years, has 14 points, with 13 of them dependent on good governance—including narrative-building, choking terror financing, capacity building, and refugee repatriation .
“If good governance requires an administrative reset, then it has to be done through constitutional methods,
