Shehbaz meets Nisar in appeasement effort
July 26, 2017
ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Interior Minister and senior Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chaudhry Nisar in an attempt to 'reconcile differences,' sources said on Wednesday.
The Punjab CM was accompanied by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who was also present at the meeting which took place at Punjab House.
According to sources, Chaudhry Nisar during the meeting sought time to review his decision, while Shehbaz Sharif asked the minister no to take an extreme measure.
Sources further add that Nisar was requested not to bring party affairs onto the media. The chief minister also assured Nisar that all reservations would be addressed.
The meeting came at a time when the political arena is rife with speculations of Nisar ending his 32-year long association with PML-N.
A much-awaited presser on Monday -- in the backdrop of speculations of Nisar's differences with PML-N leadership -- ended with the minister declining to address any political issues in the light of the recent Lahore explosion that left at least 15 dead and 25 injured.
"I had planned on discussing many points today, but in light of the Lahore incident it is not possible for me to talk about political issues, I am sure you all will agree," Nisar said.
Hours before Nisar's press conference at Punjab House, the PM's spokesperson Musadik Malik in a statement said the interior minister would neither resign from his post nor would he leave the party.
‘Nisar will continue to remain with us’
In a series of tweets on Monday, Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique affirmed Nisar’s association with the prime minister and the party.
Rafique said the interior minister will not back down in testing times and will be at the frontline.
‘Two groups have emerged in PML-N’
In his media address in Multan on Saturday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said there are now two groups in the PML-N.
“The first group is the bacha (minor) group which wants conflict with institutions. The second group which is represented by Chaudhry Nisar instead of saving personalities wants to save the system.”
