Nisar seeks time to review his decision in meeting with CM: sources

ISLAMABAD: A meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan ended here on Wednesday with sources are hopeful of a thaw in ties.

After the meeting that lasted about two hours, the chief minister and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar left for the Punjab House.

Sources said that a thaw in ties between the interior minister and the prime minister is likely as a result of today’s meeting.

The chief minister had requested the interior minister not to take any extreme step and assured to remove all his concerns. Shahbaz also requested Nisar not to bring party matters in to madia.

Sources said, dring the meeting, the interior minister had sought time to review his decision.

Chaudhry Nisar, who is otherwise a close aide and old friend of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is reportedly unhappy with the party leadership due to the way Panama case was handled and was about to part ways in a public announcement when Monday’s Lahore blast forced him to delay the presser.

Citing sources, Geo News had quoted the interior minister as saying at the Cabinet meeting that the prime minister has been surrounded by immature individuals, who led him to the present situation. The sources further said that Nisar was kept out of the consultation process for the past month, adding that he would not leave the party, but also not hold any office.

Nisar advised the premier not to address the nation and appear before the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT), further added close sources.

Railways Minister Kh Saad Rafique and Defence Production Minister Rana Tanvir also met Nisar on Saturday but he refused to back down from his position.