ormer interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday said it would hurt his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), if he disclosed why he chose to not be part of the federal cabinet.
“Fellow party members leaking details of matters discussed in internal meetings has created an unnecessary controversy over my decision,” he added, clarifying that he had not announce quitting politics but only declined a place in the federal cabinet over a “difference of opinion”.
Claiming that he openly discussed his opinion during the party’s meetings, the PML-N leader said the former and incumbent prime ministers had kept trying to convince him to not quit as interior minister.
The former minister went on to claim that despite all the criticism he had endured during his tenure he deserved credit for eradicating terrorism from Pakistan.
“In 2013, there were bomb attacks after every four or five days… Now there is a marked reduction in such incidents,” he said. “There is no terrorist network in Pakistan now, and the security situation has remarkably improved.”
Defending his performance as interior minister, Nisar said he made attempts to take all stakeholders onboard but his ministry was criticised for “other’s negligence”, clarifying that the interior ministry did not possess the executive authority but it was only responsible for policy-making. “I do not want my political performance to be tarnished by involving in mudslinging.”
Putting all the rumours regarding his exclusion from the federal cabinet to rest, the ex-interior minister said he did not leak any news during the last 24 days. “I urge all media persons to always acquire from me a clarification on any news that is being spread in my name.”
Recently, former information minister Rashid, who was sacked due to his ‘failure’ to stop publication of a controversial story about a national security meeting in October last year, obliquely criticised the role of interior ministry in what was called the Dawn Leaks saga.
Reacting strongly to Rashid’s interview, Nisar said due to unknown reasons a few people were shifting blame of their own mistakes on the interior ministry and the establishment. “If they are so innocent, these people should advise the government to make Dawn Leaks committee report public,” he added.
On Friday, the former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan expressed his serious resentment over the appointment of Sardar Yaqoob as PML-N’s acting president. According to INP, the former interior minister raised objections to the party policy and said that the PML-N leadership did not consult anyone before nominating Yaqoob to lead the party, and informed the media even before the party leaders knew it. Nisar chose to stay out of the federal cabinet which was sworn in earlier this month, with reports of rifts within the party.
