LAHORE:
After five hours of deliberations, reassurances and appeasement, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif succeeded in winning over disgruntled Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar by giving in to his key demands.
Nisar’s disagreement with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who is also water and power minister, had created a major rift among the leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). But on Saturday, at a meeting in Raiwind, the Sharif brothers assuaged Nisar, who then persuaded them to go about his way to deal with crunch issues, sources said.
Officials indicate that the interior minister convinced the PML-N leadership to remove Asif as defence minister and hand the portfolio to Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch or someone else. The premier might even keep the defence portfolio himself, they added.
It was also resolved that on national security issues, PM Nawaz, Shahbaz Sharif and Nisar will be the three focal persons who will frame and decide policy – a move that will limit the roles of Asif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
Moreover, PM Nawaz will restrict Dar within the confines of the finance ministry, and if and when the premier wants to assign him tasks other than those related to finance, they will be discussed with Nisar beforehand.
One of the main reasons for the bitterness with Dar and Khawaja Asif was the severe reservations that Nisar had over the mishandling of Pervez Musharraf’s treason trial and the defence minister’s conduct while tackling the military.
In March, Nawaz had ignored Nisar’s proposal after the special court’s judgment to let Musharraf go abroad and not agitate the military. However, the premier chose to go along with Asif’s prescribed way of going ahead with the former military ruler’s trial, sources said.
During the five-hour meeting, the three leaders discussed Musharraf’s ECL case pending in the Supreme Court and assured Nisar that the next move in pursuing the case, whether in the Supreme Court or the special court, will be decided in consultation with him.
Another issue raised by Nisar was Asif’s immediate media interview after Operation Zarb-e-Azb began in North Waziristan Agency in which he said the government had already wasted time in talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Officials said Nisar, along with Shahbaz Sharif, disliked his statement and apprised the prime minister about its repercussions.
The future role of Ishaq Dar was also heavily deliberated on. According to officials, Chaudhry Nisar told Nawaz that Dar had divided the party into ethnic lobbies such as ‘northern areas, central Punjab and South Punjab wings’, which tainted the leadership’s image. The finance minister also pretended to be ‘second to the prime minister’ and his decision would be regarded as final, which disheartened members of the party, complained the interior minister.
After hearing him out, the PML-N leadership also decided to minimise Dar’s role.
According to a government spokesperson, the prime minister, in conclusion, asked Nisar to resume his responsibilities and work with full dedication.
Nawaz thanked Shahbaz Sharif for bringing Nisar to him to address his grievances, while Shahbaz called the interior minister his elder brother, officials added.
The next meeting of Nawaz, Nisar and other ministers will be scheduled at the PM House soon. “The prime minister said that difference of opinion is the beauty of democracy,” the spokesman said.
During the latter part of the meeting, it was also decided that the Parliamentary Committee on Election Reform and talks with Imran Khan regarding the rigging probe of four constituencies will be steered by Shahbaz Sharif and Nisar.
The three leaders also discussed the timeline for the military operation in North Waziristan, as well as Tahirul Qadri and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s long march.
The three leaders settled on Ishaq Dar’s handling the issue of IDPs settlement and proposing a new plan for fund raising.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2014.
COMMENTS (32)
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This arrangement will last until Nawaz needs someone more than he needs Ch Nisar at the moment.
NAWAZ NEVER FORGETS!!
As much as PTI and other wants, there will be no divide in PMLN. As much as others want, there will be no other government than that of PMLN until next scheduled elections or there will be a complete Martial Law with no room for Imran and canadian sick man.
it amazes me to think that PML_N is only a Punjabistan Party ! and no other province seems to have a Federal Minister of any substances no wonder we lost East Pakistan/Bangla Desh and perhaps history will repeat itself again if this attitude continues at least PPP had Federal Ministers from All Provinces and power was equally shared !
For How Long ???
Mr sharif know winning nisar is more imprtant than winning pakistani people...
It's like watching an argument between dumb and dumber - no matter who wins, you lose.
@ Chaudhry Alladad A foolish comment..
The return of Mr. Bean......:-)
@Adnan Siddiqi: Oh, Ambiguity cleared now. I knew it!
Nisar had no plans to join PTI and IK knew this.By those statements he merely helped strengthen Nisar's hand and give him a stronger position to negotiate from. It is in IKs benefit also to have a friend in a senior and influential position in PMLN :)
Allah bless Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif.
Mashalla. Now CM shahbaz sharif must declare the details of the expenses incurred on his visits to Islamabad to placate Ch. Nisar. The helicopter rides, protocols, cavalcades etc. Who has paid the expenses of mending this personal rift between PM and Ch. Nisar? Shahbaz out of his pocket or the nation out of the national exchequer
@Ch. Allah Daad: There was a lot of "meat" left in the "meating" sir! You just bit into Imran & ran away? I have hopes now, more for the survival of PMLn than before.
No offense but; Without Nisar PMLn won't survive 2-days in the current "hot weather".
@Ch. Allah Daad: What a shame... Your party taking months to solve internal difference, I wonder how come Pakistan crisis will be solved within five years.
I think its high time that government should start focussing on REAL issues rather than thinking about those aspects that have no effect on the common man. This government has failed to deliver, prices are high in the holy month of Ramzan, all the main focus has been shifted to unimportant things which will eventually cause more problems for the government and the poor souls of Pakistani!
@ ch Allah Dad Only Nisar is someone reasonable amongst all the Federal lot. By the way its only due to Nisar that Army is keeping away of the coup party
@ammar kiani:
Your assessment on Nissar's strength in the Potohar belt is off the mark. Albeit that PML-N swept through almost all the districts of the Potohar region, it was because of Nissar's intransigent attitude, wrong allocation of tickets (Anjum Aqeel) that PML-N was dented heavily in its traditional bastion of Pindi city and its periphery. So much so that Nissar himself lost one of his NA seats to Ghulam Sarwar Khan. Nissar has been vulnerable since then and suffering from an inferiority complex.
Also note that in Nawaz Sharif' dictionary, there is no such term of letting someone else control a region as you have inferred that most of the reps from Potohar region are under Nissar's thumb. PML-N always has one back-up heavy duty politician to control a district in his individual capacity and one of those politician is Chaudhry Tanveer from Rawalpindi who is a loyal PML-N worker and Sharif's eyes and ears from that region.
As for your observation that Nissar is very close to the army, even Sheeda Tully is suffering from the same illusion and we know what this degenerate stands for.
@Ranjha: Please dont insult Somalia.
OMG, this whole nation is being directed by Media to look into the petty issues of a Party.
Common media people, both who are producing it and who are watching it.. we are at war right now and we need to take care of IDPs in this heat they are suffering.
Who gives a damn about Nisar is talking to Sharifs and vice versa.
Where are priorities of Govt and Media?
Nisar is a smart man. This internal rift is ch Nisars vs pmln leadership from central punjab. Nisar very intelligently influenced party ticket distribution for northern punjab (potohar) during May 2013 elections and almost all pmln mnas & mpas from jhelum to attock are those who are close to nisar. Sharifs cant take the risk of annoying him and allowing him to create a separate block within pmln. Nisar also comes from the army belt and is closely connected to armed forces unlike pmlns leaders from central punjab. Sharifs are going to get some tough time now.
Oh well... let the incompetency thrive.
Chaudhry Nisar vs Nawaz Sharif.... whoever wins, Pakistanis lose.
If I were you I would watch my back from now on Nisar Sahib, Nawaz never forgets.
Nisar's approach seems pragmatic. But it seems the outcome of discussions was powerplay
So that's the unity they are showing for Operation? what a joke when they ask to PTI, PAT do not show election blunders.
Am happy to hear about the Finance Minister's reduced role from now on.
good nes. pmln seemed to be all messed up. Many deciscions were not up to the mark. Nisar held high by pmln and Army should take the central role. Nisar is a reputed and skillful person. He should have managed the the Qadri show and many lives could have been saved. Dair aey durust aey. Hope they take imran khan in confidence too. The going is tough now because of 2 operations and many other challenges so we need the toughs to get going!
When Ch. Nisar learned that only PTI has welcomed him, he wisely decided to stay in PML(N). A bird in hand is better than two in bush.