- Interior minister’s absence from political scene in wake of attack on Ismailis show internal bickering in the federal cabinet
While Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif cancelled his three-day visit to Sri Lanka and rushed to Karachi to review the strategy to deal with the new wave of terrorism and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also reached the port city in the evening, the mysterious absence of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan from the political scene once again brought internal bickering within the federal cabinet into the limelight.
When contacted, an official of the Interior Ministry claimed that the minister was not feeling well and doctors had advised him not to travel. The official also claimed that Nisar was not invited to the meeting to be chaired by the premier.
However, some other sources said that Nisar had skipped the Karachi tour despite Prime Minister Sharif’s wish to take him along. They claimed that the PM then asked Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to accompany him to Karachi.
The interior minister, on the other hand, seemed content by issuing a formal statement demanding a report on the incident from the Sindh Rangers DG and the Sindh IG.
Although the minister had attended the recently held joint session of the parliament which was addressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 21, however during the session he neither shook hands with the prime minister nor spoke with him.
Sources in the ruling party said that the interior minister was unhappy with the prime minister for not fulfilling commitments made with him since long.
“The last time Chaudhry Nisar attended a meeting with prime minister was in January last. Since then, Nisar has missed all such meetings and the premier also looks uninterested in inviting him. So it seems that now the matter has turned from issues to egos,” a PML-N leader said.
He claimed that it is now evident that Nisar slowly but surely is on his way out of the close circle of the premier as the family members are dominating the decision-making in the Prime Minister’s House.
Sources close to Nisar told Pakistan Today that the interior minister was upset with the premier for ignoring him in several important decisions including the government’s commitment to Saudi Arabia to send troops to Yemen, a decision which was eventually turned down by the country’s parliament.
Another factor which is adding fuel to the fire is that despite several commitments, the Finance Ministry is reluctant to provide adequate funds for some projects in the Interior Ministry.
The Interior Ministry has time and again sought funds for strengthening the National Counterterrorism Authority (NACTA) but the Finance Ministry is reluctant to provide the required funds. Moreover, the establishment of a joint directorate of intelligence also remains on papers.
“The Finance Ministry did not pay Rs 32 billion for NACTA and implementation of National Action Plan in provinces and instead doled out Rs 40 billion for the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus project, which also irked the interior minister,” said the sources.
Well, if the latter figures are acxurate then i think nisar has got food grounds to be upset. National security comes before a trophy metrolink.
As far as Sharifs are concerned, other then filling their pockets, there will be CPEC for the exclusive or overwhelming benefit of Punjab or no CPEC. Now it is for the sagacious leadership of Punjab (other then Sharifs) and smaller provinces to tactfully handle this project. Of course, the corridor should be first built on its original route going via Quetta and at later stages, interchanges can be be built to link with existing communications network. Punjab must refrain from always planning and presenting a logic in a manner that it reaps all the fruits and ignore smaller provinces. Take, for example, natural gas. It was first discovered in Baluchistan and their kitchens were the last ones to receive it. It is argued that Baluchistan was backward and did not have the industries to use it. But they did have the kitchens to use it. And if it had been directed towards Baluchistan, it would have spearheaded industrial development. This time Baluchistan should have the first right. Gwadar is in Baluchistan.
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