ISLAMABAD - Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, all-weather friend of Ch Nisar Ali Khan, has once again become active to help defuse mounting tension between the prime minister and the interior minister from Chakri Rajgan.
Sources aware of the developments taking place on this front informed The Nation that the prime minister was displeased over the way Nisar Ali Khan had distanced himself from the trial of the Sharif family in the Panama Papers revelations, which weakened the bond of relationship, spanning well over three decades, between the two.
On top of it the strong group within the party against Ch Nisar Ali Khan has taken full advantage of the situation and their venomous whispers to the prime minister further stretched the relations between the two to almost point of breakup.
Some insiders in the party informed that the Punjab chief minister stepped in to defuse the situation as the party is passing through the most difficult time where the prime minister and his family are facing serious charges in the apex court and the falling apart of leaders like Ch Nisar Ali Khan from the party would only add to the problems of the ruling family.
Sources said that Ch Nisar assured the Punjab chief minister that he would not be leaving the party but at the same time could not withstand the casual treatment meted out to him by the prime minister in presence of far junior cabinet colleagues.
The people who knew the politics and persona of Ch Nisar well said that he (Nisar) would be the last person to ditch the prime minister in crisis and the extreme step he could take is to turn dormant but stay part of the party if not cabinet.
The sources said that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had also taken up the matter of Ch Nisar’s outburst in the cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sharif and both of them agreed that it was a result of some misunderstanding, which must be resolved forthwith because the party would not afford such rifts at top echelon of the party at this critical juncture.
Ch Nisar was also critical and angry to those within the party who had leaked the distorted version of his speech to media which had further vitiated the situation as all what he had said in his speech at last cabinet meeting was that he was standing with the party and one must not doubt his loyalty keeping in view his unflinching standing with the party in every thick and thin well over the past three decades.
A senior party leader who did not want to be named said that earlier when Ch Nisar’s silence on Panama leaks scandal was highlighted in the party he questioned that what exactly was the party’s policy on Panama Papers revelations as in the face of wavering position of the party leadership on the issue it would not possible for him or anyone else to defend the prime minister.
Sources said that the lobby against Ch Nisar in the party was growing strong and had virtually pushed him away from the prime minister resulting in the communication gap and growing mistrust.
These sources said that as both Nawaz Sharif and Ch Nisar are introvert and did not share their concerns against each other with ease. So the chasm in their relations had widened over the time providing room to vested interests in the party to take advantage of it.
These sources said that previously on several occasions Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had managed to remove misunderstandings between the two but this time would he be able to do it again, only time will tell, as this time around the comfort level between the two brothers is also shaky.
These sources said that previously on several occasions Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had managed to remove misunderstandings between the two but this time would he be able to do it again, only time will tell, as this time around the comfort level between the two brothers is also shaky.