ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan once again postponed his long-awaited press conference on Monday in the wake of the Lahore bombing, promising to share his views on the Panamagate crisis sometime soon.

Following the minister’s public disagreements with cabinet collea­gues, the rumour mills had started churning out various scenarios, inc­lu­ding speculation that Chaudhry Nisar was ending his 35-year association with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The political grapevine has been rife with whispers following his apparent absence from the political scene in what is being seen as one of the most critical times for his party.

He attended the cabinet’s meeting on July 13, but skipped two party meetings held afterwards, before the apex court reserved its judgement in the Panama Papers case on July 21.

In his first interaction with the media this month, which also saw the opposition charging ahead with its campaign to oust the prime minister, the interior minister had earlier promised to speak his mind on Sunday.

Minister postpones presser following Lahore tragedy

But that press conference had to postponed after the minister came down with severe backache. On Monday, he briefly appeared before cameras at the Punjab House, only to announce that he had decided to postpone his political media talk in the wake of the ghastly attack in Lahore, which occurred shortly before he was supposed to address the press.

Referring to the tragic situation the families of the victims were faced with, he said he did not consider it appropriate to speak about political matters at a time like this.

“I am not cancelling it, but it putting off for another day,” he remarked, but did not announce a specific date. He also advised the media to stop speculating on what he would say during his press conference.

In recent days, Chaudhry Nisar has contradicted various news reports about a supposed meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, remarks attributed to him during the recent cabinet meeting, and about a disagreement in the cabinet meeting that led to him walking out.

On Monday, a chair with a special back-care pad had been placed for the minister at the venue, but he preferred to speak while standing, and entered the hall in visible discomfort, slowly making his way to dais.

He told reporters he was suffering from severe backache and found it difficult to sit, and even harder to get back up after sitting down. “I don’t think want you to see me in this condition,” he said.

Although the senior minister did not say so in so many words, his observations at the shortened presser also indicated that he has no plans to resign.

Referring to the manhandling of Channel 24 and DawnNews reporters who had tried to approach Zafar Hijazi – the main accused in the record tampering case instituted by the Federal Investigation Agency – at the capital’s largest public hospital, he said a high powered committee had been formed to look into the issue.

The minister assured mediapersons that justice would be served and said he would keep a close eye on the matter – a statement some have interpreted as a clear indication that he is going to stay on as interior minister.

He said he came to know about the incident through media reports and immediately took notice and sought a report on the matter.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2017