LAHORE: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday once again postponed his press conference.
Discussing the delay, Nisar said, “I have been ill but I would rather go back today, than discussing politics while a tragedy has hit the country.”
He added, “I was bedridden for the past two days and saw a number of speculations in the media about my condition. I would like you all to keep those at bay and focus on the matter at hand — the Lahore blast.”
“I postpone press conference after the regretful incident in Lahore,” Chaudhry Nisar said while addressing a press conference in Lahore.
He said that he summoned a report in regarding the blast.
“I also summoned the report of the conduct done by FIA personnel with the journalists,” Nisar said.
The minister said that the press conference was most important, however, after the tragic incident it would be inappropriate to talk politics.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar jumped into the issue hours before before Nisar’s press talk and met him to resolve what the conflicting issues persisting in his mind.
The meeting was continued for two hours in Punjab House and the finance minister, although who has been already trapped in Panama case, tried to remove the conundrums that led to his rift with the other party leaders.
Sources said that the issues of Panama case, political differences and country’s internal issues also came under discussion.
The Prime Minister’s House has dismissed the rumours that Nisar was leaving the party and stepping down from his office.
After his earlier announcement to exchange thoughts on his ongoing rift with the party, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Railways Minister Saad Rafique reached Punjab House to appease the displeased minister.
They told the interior minister that he is an asset of the party. They requested him to not hold the press conference.
Nisar told them that he is still bound by party discipline, and any sort of irresponsible behavior or statement should not be expected from him during the press conference, however, he possesses the right to express his complains.
On Sunday, the interior minister postponed a press conference that was to address rumours regarding a reported conflict with the PML-N leadership.
Nisar has been repeatedly absent from the party meetings to discuss a strategy in the wake of the Joint Investigation Team’s (JIT) report.
However, the interior minister had attended a meeting of the federal cabinet on July 13 where members of the cabinet reposed confidence in the PM. But he skipped two important meetings of the PML-N after that.
While several cabinet members kept on issuing vociferous statements against the JIT constituted in the Panama Papers case and some even indirectly uttered remarks against the judiciary, Chaudhry Nisar was not among the crowd as he chose to remain silent on the issue at the height of the controversy.
Published in Daily Times, July 25th 2017.
