ISLAMABAD: When it came to extend all support to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the PML-N parliamentary party meeting on Friday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was conspicuous by his brief appearance and a sour speech.
The meeting was called at the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss the party’s reaction to the joint investigation team (JIT) report, submitted to the Supreme Court bench, and the future strategy of the party to deal with the opposition’s demands for the PM’s resignation. PM Nawaz Sharif chaired the meeting.
According to sources, the interior minister reached the meeting venue late and left it early after making a short speech.“I advised Nawaz Sharif for not appearing before the JIT, but he made a blunder by going against my piece of advice,” sources claimed citing the interior minister as having said.
Ch Nisar reportedly told Nawaz Sharif that handling of matters pertaining to the media by the juniors was not a good decision. Nisar said he held a meeting with the army official on the PM’s directions, but some people termed him their (army) man. He said that that impression should be removed.
Sources said Nisar Ali told the PM that he had always stood with him and always remained loyal to the party. “Mr Prime Minister, I have the face to say in front of you whatever I want to say. I never indulge in flattery, and I have ever said the truth.
“Your sycophant advisors have taken you to this situation. Situation was mishandled, and consultation process was reduced to a great extent,” the minister reportedly said about the Panama Leaks crisis.
Ch Nisar told the meeting that juniors were given more important assignments, who spoiled the situation. He said he had always remained loyal to the party.
The minister said that after start of Panama Leaks case in the Supreme Court, various speeches were delivered by party leaders on different occasions, which was a mistake. He said the political and legal teams mishandled the situation.
Ch Nisar said he never sought anything from the prime minister for himself except for one demand for making him the foreign minister.
Sources said the interior minister told the meeting that only a miracle could save the prime minister in the circumstances in which whatever was happening and whatever was going to happen. He said that there should have not been any clash between the state institutions and there should have been a better way out to steer out of the crisis.
However, the prime minister told the interior minister that that he should have talked to him in private instead of delivering a speech in the meeting. “If you have some apprehensions, you should have talked to me separately,” Nawaz told Ch Nisar.
Sources said the interior minister left the meeting soon after completing his speech.Meanwhile, a spokesman for the interior ministry on Friday said that nothing unpleasant happened and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan did not walk out of the cabinet meeting.
“We should avoid speculations and unrealistic comments with regard to the remarks of the interior minister during the cabinet meeting held on Thursday,” he said this in a statement issued here.There was no validity or truth in news telecast on some channels in this regard, he added.