The government’s decision to let former president Pervez Musharraf go abroad has created fissures within the ranks of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
According to sources, federal ministers Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal, who had earlier announced to quit politics if Musharraf was allowed to proceed abroad, have reportedly expressed anger over his exit.
They said that a group within the PML-N expressed strong protest with the prime minister after the former military ruler’s departure to Dubai.
Although all federal ministers and parliamentarians from the PML-N are seen defending the decision in the media, a certain faction within the party ranks has formally conveyed its protest to the party leadership.
The sources said this protesting faction – Minister Perviaz Rashid, Federal Minister for Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Senator Mushahidullah Khan and others – was of the opinion that the dictator who not only abrogated the constitution but also persecuted all leaders of the PML-N should not have been allowed passage abroad when his trial was underway.
The sources said that only Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan looked satisfied among Prime Minister Sharif’s cabinet members over the government decision. Other members of the cabinet and a majority of parliament members look highly upset over the decision of the party leadership.