And the situation back home?
Ch Nisar’s having quite an eventful ride to the cabinet shuffle. He always seems in the news for the wrong reason. It’s interesting that this time Bangladesh has saddened him, forcing him to speak out against the death sentence awarded to the Jamat e Islami chief there. But surely he realises that – the truth or otherwise of this statement being another matter – as interior minister his words and actions reflect very strongly upon the government. If, indeed, the government had a position on the matter, it should have been routed through the foreign ministry, even if that, too, is problematic in the present setup. The foreign office is reduced to a relic, there is no dedicated foreign minister, which means either the two advisors or the prime minister himself would have had to issue the statement.
It is equally interesting, and troubling, that the situation back home does not bother him nearly as much. He’s hardly visible after terrorist attacks; and considering how militant strikes are on the increase again, the interior minister should be more ‘visible’. He also does not have much to say when there are reports about his ministry, and its inability to improve internal security. Recently, his attitude has also hurt the alliance with JUI-F. His “inadequate response” to the attack on Maulana Fazl, as the party rightly pointed out, was typical of Nisar; rushing through press conferences on “petty issues” but remaining detached on important matters.
Significantly for the prime minister, especially now, it’s not just that his strategy of keeping ministries to himself hasn’t worked, it’s that those with full-time charge have not delivered either. And the interior minister is the perfect example, giving Nawaz much to think about as he decides about the shape of his new cabinet. Nisar, meantime, should devote his energies where they are more urgently needed. The lull after Zarb-e-Azb seems giving way to increasing incidents of terrorism. It is very important to get a handle on the blowback before it snowballs. And while Nisar is in charge, he should make sure the job is done in the right way.
