Imran, Nisar were in contact during 2014 long march

ISLAMABAD: Former Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was in constant contact with Imran Khan in August 2014 when he entered the federal capital by leading long march and occupied the Red Zone’s D-Chowk for sit-in. The participants of the sit-in stormed the Prime Minister House, Parliament House, Pakistan Secretariat and PTV headquarters, blocked the road of the Supreme Court, acted disgracefully and assaulted the police officers.Well-placed political sources told The News/Jang here Tuesday that its unfair to blame Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for an act which he didn’t commit. It was an open secret that Nisar and PTI Chairman Imran Khan were close friends since they were classmate in Aitcheson College and member of the college cricket team.The Chaudhry was politically close associate of former prime minister and Quaid of the PML-N Nawaz Sharif, but he didn’t like the political approach of Khan. He was offered to join the PTI several times but on every occasion, he points blank declined it. The sources reminded that it was Nisar who took Nawaz Sharif to Banigala residence after the later being elected prime minister of the country for third time.The sources reminded that Imran Khan announced holding of long march against Nawaz Sharif government after few weeks referring the allegations of rigging in polls and it surprised the government. Nisar established contact with Khan and tried to ascertain the reason behind the sudden decision of Khan for action to demolish the government. Nisar was given free hand by the prime minister to deal with the situation, but he provided briefing to the prime minister on regular basis. Nisar went to the sit-in to visit security personnel during the days when it was on peak and none of the participants objected about his presence among them. At one point in time when Nisar was severely criticised within the party for action/ inaction about sit-in, he offered to quit but Nawaz Sharif asked him to continue since he had confidence in him. There were reports that Nisar had more than one one-on-one meeting with Imran during the sit-in days. Nisar never confirmed it. Again, after the ouster of Nawaz Sharif from the government, Nisar was part of the lobby that insisted that Nawaz Sharif shouldn’t proceed to Lahore from Islamabad by GT Road and instead take Motorways.