LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) disgruntled leader and former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was not invited to the party’s Central Working Committee meeting held here on Tuesday.
Insiders say that several members of the CWC were opposed to the presence of Ch Nisar in the meeting despite the fact that he is a member of the committee. The reason being cited is that he had been criticising various policies of Nawaz Sharif inside the party meetings as well as in the open. There had also been exchange of words between Ch Nisar and some PML-N leaders, including Senator Pervez Rashid. Sources said that Nawaz Sharif himself decided to not extend an invitation to Ch Nisar, who has been associated with the PML-N for over three decades, for the CWC session despite insistence of Shehbaz Sharif, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Ayaz Sadiq.
However, Ch Nisar has been maintaining very close relationship with Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is now acting president of the party. Political analysts say it is to be seen if the PML-N leadership would award Ch Nisar party ticket for the National Assembly in the next elections due to uneasy relations with the elder Sharif.
On February 11, PTI Chairman Imran Khan had invited the former interior minister to join his party’s fold. On February 15, Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique had said that the issue between Nawaz and Nisar would be resolved soon.
Published in Daily Times, February 28th 2018.
