LAHORE: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar is unlikely to make public his political differences with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership as he has been assured that no change in the chain of command of the federal government will be made against his wishes.

A senior official of the PML-N told Dawn on Tuesday that the change of heart came when Finance Minister Ishaq Dar called on Chaudhry Nisar and assured him that no minister “junior to” him (the interior minister) would be nominated as prime minister in case Nawaz Sharif is disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case.

The official, privy to the development, said that Chaudhry Nisar had differed with the prime minister over plan of appointing any other minister than the interior minister as the “stopgap arrangement” if he (Mr Sharif) was disqualified.

He quoted Ch Nisar as saying that being opposition leader in the previous tenure of the National Assembly and being senior than his cabinet colleagues (for he has been in the federal cabinet since 1990) he has the first right to replace PM Nawaz.

He said the politician from Chakri was ready to forgo his right only for Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and threatened to resign from the cabinet otherwise.

The interior minister, who had also reportedly been against the way the government had fought the Panama case, had twice invited the media to announce his decision but deferred it in the last two days.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2017

Opinion

Editorial

Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.
Concerning measures
Updated 03 Nov, 2024

Concerning measures

The govt must seek political input and consensus on the changes it is seeking to make and be open about its intentions.
Short-lived relief?
03 Nov, 2024

Short-lived relief?

POLICYMAKERS must be jumping with joy. At the close of the first quarter of FY25, the budget posted a consolidated...
Brisk spread
03 Nov, 2024

Brisk spread

THE surge in polio cases has reached distressing levels with a tally of 45 last reported, after two cases emerged in...