Addressing a public gathering in Kasur, Punjab, Fazlur Rehman made critical remarks about state institutions, particularly the military, prompting sharp condemnation from federal ministers and other politicians.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said he was disappointed, calling Fazlur Rehman a seasoned politician and prominent religious leader from whom greater responsibility in choosing words was expected.

Linking soldiers’ sacrifices to salary was unfair and hurtful to the families of martyrs, he said, adding that no one gives their life merely for a paycheque, but for ideology, faith and love of the homeland.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal called the remarks contrary to Islamic teachings and moral principles.

In a social media post addressed to Fazlur Rehman, he said their relationship had always been one of respect, but the remarks appeared to diminish the sacrifices of martyrs and had hurt the sentiments of millions of Pakistanis.

He said the peace enjoyed today in mosques, seminaries and public gatherings was owed to soldiers standing at the border.

Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Aoun Chaudhry demanded that Fazlur Rehman apologise to the nation and to the families of martyrs.

He said martyrdom, a status of the highest honour, had been linked to salary, when in truth it comes from patriotism and faith, not pay.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry expressed grief and questioned whether a martyr’s life could carry a price tag, stressing the need for national unity in the fight against terrorism.

Minister of State for Railways Hanif Abbasi told a press conference that Fazlur Rehman had hurt the entire nation, noting that the Pakistan Army has remained in a continuous state of conflict for the past 35 years.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan also criticised the remarks sharply, saying the military was a source of pride for the nation and that every soldier lays down his life confronting the enemy.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, without naming Fazlur Rehman directly, said martyrdom was the purpose of a believer’s life, a concept beyond the understanding of worldly, salaried people.

Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party spokesperson Fayyazul Hassan Chohan said the army sacrifices for the homeland, not for salary, and that the remarks had deeply hurt the families of martyrs.

Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry took a different position, describing Fazlur Rehman as a serious and astute political figure whose comments on the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be taken seriously rather than dismissed.

During his address, Fazlur Rehman had said every institution operates within its own defined mandate, before criticising the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

It was during these remarks that he made the controversial comments regarding soldiers’ martyrdom.

Responding to the criticism and demands for an apology, JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza said an apology was owed instead for what is happening in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.