Internal rift: Nisar-Iqbal spat highlights growing acrimony

Former interior minister has been increasingly vocal against key members of his own party

ISLAMABAD: The recent spat between two key members of the PML-N, Ahsan Iqbal and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, about Islamabad sit-in not only highlights the growing differences between the two leaders but also the internal crisis that the ruling party faces after the disqualification of its chief, Nawaz Sharif.

On Sunday, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s statement with regard to killing of protesters during the Saturday morning crackdown on sit-in drew strong reaction from Nisar, who interestingly also served as interior minister till dissolution of the federal cabinet in the wake of the apex court’s July 28 verdict.



Speaking to a TV channel, Iqbal had claimed that four of the casualties on the day of operation took place outside Nisar’s residence. Reportedly, protesters had entered Nisar’s Rawalpindi residence and set fire to its gate as well as a building and a mobile satellite van located close to his house.

Ahsan had made the similar claim during his contact with the PPP stalwart and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah on Sunday, whose party’s support on the issue of the sit-in was sought by the interior minister on behalf of the government.

In a statement issued by Shah after the contact, it was stated that the interior minister told the leader of opposition that the four of the people killed on Saturday had not died in the police crackdown but during an attack on Nisar’s residence.

Reacting to the statement, Nisar swiftly rejected the claim and said no one was killed or even injured at his residence. “Let alone deaths, there was not even any instance of anybody getting injured,” he said in a statement, adding that Iqbal must avoid making ‘fictitious statements’ just to hide his ‘inefficiency’.

Nisar lamented that it was ‘a sorrowful event and unfortunate’ that the interior minister of the country was so ‘uninformed and irresponsible’. “It was requirement of Ahsan Iqbal’s portfolio that he should have stood with the administration instead of making lame excuses,” he added.

The former interior minister also took jibe at Ahsan for his earlier claim that he could get the sit-in removed within three hours and said now the minister should take responsibility and not hide behind the order of Islamabad High Court which had also ordered removal of Islamabad’s blockade.

According to some media report, Iqbal had swiftly responded to Nisar’s allegations and reminded him of the PTI-PAT marathon sit-in in Islamabad that continued for months while Nisar was at the helm of the Interior Ministry.

This is not for the first time that Nisar came down hard on Iqbal and other members of the ruling party In mid-July, when former PM Nawaz Sharif’s government was in deep trouble on account of the Panama Papers, Nisar had issued a strong-worded statement against Ahsan Iqbal.



Iqbal during a talk with a private TV channel had attributed some remarks to Nisar which were allegedly made in a cabinet meeting. Reacting to the statement, Nisar had asked Iqbal and other ministers to avoid attributing ‘false and incorrect’ news to him.

“This is unfortunate that these statements are being issued from such ministers who actually pushed the government to the present critical situation," his spokesman had said.

So far there has been an obvious pattern of rift between these two PML-N leaders. Ahsan Iqbal makes some comments about Chaudhry Nisar and Chaudhry Nisar comes down hard on him in reaction. Generally Iqbal does not respond to Nisar’s reaction.

[WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM NEWS DESK]