ISLAMABAD: As if the allegations levelled on Thursday by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan against Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah were not enough, another federal minister came up with charges of alleged wrongdoing against the senior PPP leader on Friday.

Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanvir Hussain accused Mr Shah of getting his brother ‘illegally’ elected as chairman of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) during the last PPP regime and of lobbying for extension in his term which expired not long ago.

He said Mr Shah had managed to get support of several government functionaries, but when no intercession worked he came to “my office along with his brother to make the same request”.

Mr Hussain alleged that the term of Mr Shah’s brother as PEC chairman was the worst in terms of corruption and financial irregularities. He said that when he refused to accept the request, the leader of opposition complained against him at higher level.

He said Mr Shah also wanted that in case of non-extension new elections should be conducted through a company owned by close relatives of his brother to get him elected as they had done during the PPP’s tenure.

“I will give first testimony about Khursheed Shah’s character if he goes to the court or the assembly,” Mr Hussain said, adding that he was ready to place before the court details of the matter and other particulars if summoned.

In a related development, a spokesman for the interior ministry said that during his Thursday’s press conference Chaudhry Nisar had not said anything about any two-way deal between the government and the opposition.

He dismissed such perception as inaccurate and totally out of context. He said the recorded words of the interior minister were as follows: “I am confirming this to you how an opposition leader achieved gains from this important office…..”

The spokesman said the sentence could also be corroborated by Chaudhry Nisar’s subsequent statement that on the one hand Mr Shah was getting favours from the government of the day and, on the other he was also criticising the government without any reason or justification.

The interior minister, he said, had made the remarks when asked to comment on the allegations levelled against him by Mr Shah.

The spokesman said the interior minister was very specific in his remarks and only referred to the person against whom the comments were being solicited.

The interior minister did not respond to critical statements against him mostly emanating from Sindh. Other political parties jumped into the debate with a TV channel reporting that PTI Chairman Imran Khan had asked what price the government had paid for a friendly opposition and PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain expressed the hope that the tension between the ruling party and the PPP would soon be over.

KARACHI OPERATION: Meanwhile, Chaudhry Nisar said on Friday that ‘hurdles’ in the way of Karachi operation would be removed.

During a telephonic conversation he had with the director general of Rangers Sindh, he discussed ways of making the operation more effective.

Chaudhry Nisar said the operation enjoyed the support of the people of the entire country and not only of the people of Karachi. The operation will be made more effective in days to come.

He expressed satisfaction over the performance of Rangers and police in the Karachi operation.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2016