Ministers of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday lashed out at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for his comments on security personnel, saying the sacrifices of martyrs cannot be reduced to salaries or become a topic of political debate. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said there was no place for that kind of political speech.
"The entire nation is indebted to the brave martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country," he wrote in a post on
"Such brave and brave sons are the asset of the nation. There is no room for political discourse about their sacrifices, since their value cannot be measured," he added. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal also addressed Fazlur Rehman in a post on
"His recent statement has created the impression [ ] You have diminished the value and importance of the great sacrifices of our martyrs. This has not only hurt my feelings but also those of millions of Pakistanis."
"Our military personnel and officers are not limited to performing their professional duties; Rather, they fulfill their duty to defend the homeland by putting their lives at stake all the time."
"Describing such an incomparable sacrifice as mere compensation for a salary is not fair, nor is it in accordance with the demands of ethics, nor is it aligned with Islamic teachings." Iqbal further said. The prime minister’s political affairs advisor, Rana Sanaullah, also appeared to respond to the controversy, although without directly naming Fazlur Rehman. In a post on X, he wrote that the concept of martyrdom was beyond the understanding of "We, worldly and salaried people.". Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Aun Chaudhry asked the JUI-F chief to apologize to the martyrs and the nation. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi also slammed the JUI-F chief, saying his comments had hurt the sentiments of Pakistanis and undermined the sacrifices made by the country’s martyrs. He said he still respected Fazl, but added that the comments had hurt the sentiments of the entire nation.
