LAHORE - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders spoke reservedly on the press conference of Ch Nisar Ali Khan while those who dared to say anything showed optimism that the interior minister would not leave politics and remain loyal to the party.

This scribe contacted the PML-N leaders, but cell phones of majority of them were found switched off. Those who spoke to The Nation said politely they had been instructed not to speak on this subject. However, the little bit they said on the condition of not being named was that Ch Nisar had a long affiliation with the PML-N, so he was not going anywhere and would remain in politics as well as in the party. They said Ch Nisar must be feeling relaxed after venting his fury, so he would now not feel burdened or under any sort of tension, they viewed.

A PML-N leader said Ch Nisar was a very close friend of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as well as a seasoned politician and had rendered highly valuable services to the party which was indebted to him for it. As such this phase of the interior minister would not last long and he would remain as a politician and part of the PML-N, he added.

Senior PML-N leader Rana Muhammad Afzal told this scribe Nisar’s resentment was justified for he gave 35 years of his life to the party, but fell victim to grouping at the top level and faced bids to isolate him. He said Ch Nisar had his own temperament, so he said what he felt and this his right. Rana Afzal said Ch Nisar had a long friendship with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, but at the same time he was upright and a man of integrity who spoke truth and was not in the habit of mincing words. What he said was outcome of what he felt, Rana Afzal said, adding attempts had been made to corner him in the party, ignoring his long affiliation and meritorious services.

When asked if Ch Nisar would actually quit politics, he said, adding the interior minister was not the kind of a conspirator, who would prefer to go home instead of machinating against the party. However, at the same time, Rana Afzal said the party would get a big void if Ch Nisar left politics. Hopefully, he would be convinced back to the party on the request to play his role to deal with the threats and problems the country was facing at the moment.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said Ch Nisar’s grievance was against a few persons in the party and not the whole party and the party leadership would take cognizance of this matter as to why it happened. While talking to a private TV channel, the law minister said Ch Nisar Ali Khan had neither quit the party nor had he dissociated himself from the party leadership. He said no one in the party could dare speak against Ch Nisar to Prime Minister Nawaz or anyone else in the party. He asserted Ch Nisar enjoyed high respect and senior position in the party, so nobody could say anything against him. As to the statement of Ch Nisar to quit politics and not to contest election, Rana Sana said they would convince him to review his decision. The law minister said the interior minister’s statement to quit politics was due to his disliking for the trend of using indecent language by the leaders in their public appearance.