Tackling int’l challenges, country needs united front: Ch. Nisar

ISLAMABAD (INP): Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar has ruled out any role of army in ouster of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Speaking during a private TV channel program here on Saturday, Chaudhry Nisar said that his critics allege that his style of politics ‘resembles with military conduct.’

He said that he learnt discipline, punctuality, and how to love the country from the armed forces as most of his family including his grandfather and brother were associated with the armed forces. The former interior minister said that his introversion and reserved nature may be the reason for his critics to allege that he is arrogant.

He said, “I believe in stating the truth. Nawaz Sharif never even frowned when I criticized policies and spoke the truth till 2013, but the past few years were different and resulted in the rift with him.”

Nisar said that he always presented everything to Nawaz directly but since some time he was deliberately being stopped from doing so, adding that he spoke in the Cabinet following the changing situation.

“I never discussed my issues with the party publicly,” he said, adding that Pakistan needs a united front to tackle international challenges. The former interior minister said that a confrontation with judiciary will not yield any political benefits.

Refuting the claim that he favours the army, Nisar cited various incidents of speaking against the force each time it went against the policies of his government.

“Unnecessary confrontation with the Army can weaken our position, which is not suitable,” he further stated. Responding to a question about the journey from Nawaz’s ‘troubleshooter’ to his ‘troublemaker’ Nisar said, “I have only tried to resolve issues in the four years of our government.”

The former interior minister also denounced the comparisons being made between former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz. She should only be considered as the daughter of Nawaz Sharif, the country’s former prime minister who stepped down from leadership after the Supreme Court disqualified him in July in the Panama Papers case, he argued.

“Children are only children, they cannot be accepted as leaders,” Nisar stated, adding that they are “non-political”.