ISLAMABAD - Apparently Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan has smooth sailing in the government, but actually his persistent differences with some of his cabinet colleagues and even with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is turning out to be a matter of concern rather annoyance for the latter.
Most of the party leaders shy away from commenting on the issue while those who spoke to The Nation, strictly wanted not to be named keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter involving the party’s top notches.
A credible source in the party said that though on face of it things seemed normal between Interior Minister and the Prime Minister, but actually none of the things Interior Minister wanted on part of the Prime Minister to be done were implemented to the disappointment of Ch Nisar Ali Khan, obviously pushing him away from the Prime Minister once again.
On the other hand close political aides of Prime Minister, who are also cabinet members, are continuously pouring venomous propaganda against Interior Minister in the ears of the Prime Minister, who has also started viewing the unflinching and strict stance of Ch Nisar Ali Khan on some issues creating hurdles in the smooth sailing of the incumbent political dispensation, another source in the party informed.
Actually the uprightness and uncompromising posture of Ch Nisar Ali Khan on principles, particularly his unflinching stand against corruption, is becoming the reason for his differences with the party leadership, a senior party leader close to Chaudhry from Chakri Rajgaan commented.
He further said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted to go a little soft on main Opposition PPP, the point Interior Minister was not ready to accept and that was the reason on times he was seen standing apart from rest of the party.
Sources in the party said that Ch Nisar Ali Khan came out harsh against Leader of Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah only when the party was not there to defend him in the face of PPP bashing for what he claimed principled stand against clipping of the Rangers powers operating against criminals in port city of Karachi.
Interior Minister was made to take back his words on statement that Leader of Opposition is taking undue benefits from government for remaining soft to the ruling party in the Parliament and this time too Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif had played a role in placating him to submission.
But the matter did not resolve there and likely to echo in the Parliament during the current session of National Assembly when Leader of Opposition would likely take it up with Prime Minister. But the people close to Ch Nisar said that this time he would not keep silent and would expose Leader of Opposition if he has taken the matter on the floor of National Assembly.
Sources in the party said that previously Interior Minister wanted Prime Minister to shunt out some of the inefficient cabinet members and those who are tainted with corruption charges.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif agreed to the Interior Minister’s point of view and it was decided that initially they would start with the evaluation of each and every Minister’s performance and then would go for bringing in new faces by dropping those who have under-performed in the first half of the government’s mandated term.
These sources said that after getting disappointed over the Prime Minister’s inaction on this count Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan on his own presented his Ministry’s performance before the Parliament putting pressure on rest of his Cabinet colleagues to follow.
The move did not go well with the Prime Minister and those against Ch Nisar Ali Khan in the Cabinet had used the situation to further disenchant Prime Minister with one of the strongest leader in the ruling party.
Sources in the party said the irritants which had earlier severed the relations between Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, are all very much there and despite the promise of Prime Minister to address all these at the time of rapprochement a few months back, still needed to be addressed and haunting the both once again putting at test the decades old relations between the two.