Chaudhry Niar refuses to discuss political issues after Lahore blast

ISLAMABAD:  Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday addressed the much awaited press conference which he was due to address on Sunday but postponed due to backache.

He began the media talk by condemning the blast in Lahore which killed over a dozen people in Lahore.  He put the death toll at 14 , but said it may rise. "It is not yet confirmed if it is an incident of terrorism or an accidental explosion," the interior minister said.

The minister said though the press conference held a significance but it was not possible for him to discuss the political situation in the wake of casualties caused by an explosion in Lahore.

Lately the media has been abuzz with rumors that the minister would resign from his post after developing differences with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Hours before the Nisar Ali Khan's press conference, the Prime Minister House dismissed the rumours that the minister was parting ways with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and stepping down from the post.

In a statement PM House Spokesperson Mussadiq Malik said, “Chaudhry Nisar is a loyal friend and longtime aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.”

The PML-N is a democratic party and difference of opinion is everyone’s right, he said, adding that Chaudhry is intact with the party and the PM and will remain so.