Time to wrap it up
As if the ruling party did not have its fair share of troubles already. Now there are problems from within also. After weeks of speculation it is learnt that there are indeed serious differences between the interior minister and some senior members of the prime minister’s inner circle. And more seriously, it is not as if the Nawaz Sharif and Ch Nisar are on the same page either any longer. This explains why he’s been absent for so long, and did not care to show up even when the Protection of Pakistan Bill was presented in the assembly.
Nisar has been sore about a number of things, reportedly, but nothing upset him as much as the military action in North Waziristan. That he, and PTI chairman Imran Khan, were probably the fiercest backers of the talks in the whole country was hardly a secret. And because of his position, it is understood that he put much work into the negotiations. But when they clearly failed, and the principal TTP group took responsibility for the Karachi airport attack, the interior minister’s persistence that talks must still be pursued did not reflect the kind of responsibility that is associated with his position. He’s also been unhappy, it is learnt, with some senior members of the N team finding greater influence with the PM than himself. If such is indeed his position, then perhaps it is best for the prime minister to choose a new interior minister, one whose personal leanings are not at such odds with the rest of the country, and the rest of the ruling team. Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, who has apparently tried to woo Nisar back into the fold, should also use his energies elsewhere. This mix is not working, and something must be done about it; the sooner the better.
Forward blocs and dissatisfied customers are part and parcel of almost all political parties in our Islamic Republic. But so long as differences are manageable and smooth working relationships can be developed, much can be brushed under the carpet. Once open confrontations paralyse the working mechanism, however, especially when the party is in power, then it is the leadership’s duty to make things right. And Nisar has clearly over stayed his invitation. It is neither in the interest of the ruling party, nor the country as a whole, that the interior ministry should be a source of friction within the government machinery. But in making a fresh appointment the premier is asked to exercise caution. If this position is again given on basis of party loyalty instead of proper credentials, or presented to yet another member of the Sharif family, more harm than good will have been done.