Hakimullah Mehsud killing by the US drone has brought Chaudhry Nisar, the interior minister of ruling party PML-N and Imran Khan the head of PTI very close. Its important to note that I am not saying that it has brought PTI and PML-N together. They both still stand poles apart. Since the beginning of this dialogue-with-TTP saga, Chaudhry Nisar kept Imran Khan on board with progress, and so much so was their coordination that after the drone attack, Imran Khan praised Chaudhry Nisar for his efforts. Imran Khan’s worker, the columnist Haroon Rasheed, has mentioned it numerous times in his columns that it would be great if Chaudhry Nisar would join the PTI. With military background, Chaudhry Nisar is all time favorite of establishment, and PTI being favortie party of establishment for some time makes a perfect place for Nisar. But Nisar has resisted this temptation as he still doesn’t believe that PTI has any considerable power if establishment stops patronizing it.
It was Chaudhry Nisar who made sure that PML-N’s candidate lose the elections from Rawalpindi, though he himself lost from his own Wah Cantt Taxila constituency. It was Chaudhry Nisar who made sure that Hanif Abbasi gets defeated from Pindi. Chaudhry Nisar also made sure that Nawaz Sharif doesn’t give ticket to Hanif Abbasi from Islamabad in the by-elections, though Nawaz Sharif had himself called Hanif back from France for the by-elections. Chaudhry Nisar’s solo flight after the Hakimullah killing has angered Nawaz Sharif a lot. Nisar himself declared in news conference that Pakistani government will review the US-Pakistan relations. He never discussed it with Nawaz Sharif or with the cabinet. His rising love with Imran Khan has also put Nawaz Sharif in an uneasy place. Moreover, Nawaz Sharif has stopped trusting Nisar as he still remembers that it was Chaudhry Nisar who was behind bringing Musharraf in last time. It was also Chaudhry Nisar who created misunderstandings between Ghulam Ishaq and Nawaz Sharif during first tenure of Nisar. During exile of Nawaz Sharif, Nisar didn’t take any interest in party affairs.
Nawaz Sharif don’t trust Nisar, and his most close aide these days is Ishaq Dar, the finance minister. Khawaja Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafique, and almost all the other cabinet members are not happy with Chaudhry Nisar as Nisar is arrogant and aloof, and like to fly solo. Many within PML-N ranks now openly talk that Nisar has damaged PML-N more than any outsider. The only powerful supporter of Nisar is Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab and brother of Nawaz Sharif. That is why Nisar is still interior minister. If Shahbaz Sharif stops supporting Nisar, Nisar will be ousted from PML-N tomorrow and his first stop would be Bani Gala. In PTI, Javed Hashmi has already threatened to leave party, if Chaudhry Nisar would come in, as it was due to Nisar that Hashmi left PML-N. Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Jehangir Tarin are also very much against Nisar as they know that they would be nobody if Nisar comes in. But if Nisar comes into PTI, Imran Khan would happily sideline Hashmi, Qureshi and anybody else.