PPP yet to give convincing rejoinder to Nisar’s remarks

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has not so far come out with a convincing rejoinder to three major assertions publicly made by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan four days back.

Instead of being specific and giving a credible reply to prove his claims sham, some PPP leaders rather responded in generalized terms and attacked him on other counts, which, however, don’t include any corruption allegation even in this infuriating milieu. This has created suspicions about their account and given credence to the minister’s statement.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, currently abroad, has also not countered him about a serious charge, and decided to serve a legal notice on the cabinet member. This move is just to elude a direct reply to the accusation.

In his hard-hitting presser, Chaudhry Nisar had claimed that the air tickets of Bilawal and model Ayyan Ali, accused of smuggling of 500,000 dollars, were purchased from the same account that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is probing. He had further asserted that the PPP had offered the government at the highest level a deal demanding that the case against her should be withdrawn and the grant of bail to Dr Asim Hussain should not be opposed in the relevant court in exchange for its cooperation. Without naming anybody, he had also talked about the dubious regularization of issuance of LPG quota. However, everybody knew his addressee.

The most serious allegation that the PPP leaders have hurled against Chaudhry Nisar is that he is a hidden enemy of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and is always out to damage and discredit him and spoil his relations with the opposition by igniting pointless confrontation. They thus gave the impression as if they are more caring and sincere to the premier than the interior minister and want him to be safe politically.

They have also claimed that Chaudhry Nisar was fundamentally responsible for the failure and non-implementation of the counterterrorism National Action Plan (NAP). But it is a fact that a large part has to be played by the provincial governments in the enforcement of the NAP. Different federal ministries including interior and finance also have an important role in this connection.

In his response to the presser, leader of opposition Khusheed Shah called upon the prime minister to take notice of his statement to prove his impartiality in the growing tense ties between the government and the opposition. “The irony is that whenever there is a terrorist incident, you would never find Chaudhry Nisar around as he goes missing somewhere. But when it comes to leveling allegations and sabotaging the political atmosphere you would find him leading from the front. This is unfortunate.”

In his blunt talk, the minister had also said that he has never stated how a meter reader has prospered so much. This was a straight attack on Khursheed Shah to which he did not respond.

While several noted PPP stalwarts have taken on the interior minister as they usually do against him whenever hereacts to their harangue, no member of the federal cabinet or leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has jumped in the fray. Some of them, who have to offer comments in TV talk shows, however, held the view that the minister has to respond to the tirade emanating from the other side. In this war of words, the PPP often locks horns with Chaudhry Nisar only but doesn’t displease the federal government too much through its rejoinders. Its target is the interior minister and the vice versa.

Since the present government came in place over three years back, the PPP has repeatedly tried to put pressure on Nawaz Sharif get Chaudhry Nisar dumped, emphasizing that the minister was a liability for him for marring the political environment again and again. However, it has not succeeded to achieve its objective. There are no prospects that the prime minister will ever satisfy the PPP’s desire. During all his stints in power, Chaudhry Nisar has been a key member of his cabinet, who is known for frank expression of his views in closed door sessions.

At times, even the prime minister has to intervene to do the firefighting. Same happened last week when the opposition parties had walked out of the National Assembly without any rhyme or reason when Chaudhry Nisar was speaking although he had not said anything controversial about the PPP. Nawaz Sharif had himself approached Khursheed Shah and got the walkout finished.