LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has expressed his concern at the recent war of words between Chaudhry Nisar and Pervaiz Rashid and requested the PML-N chief to mediate between the two leaders.

The chief minister, who is considered ideologically close to former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar, spoke for the first time on the issue which had been brewing for the last many months. He requested Nawaz Sharif to invite both the leaders and resolve the war of words that resurfaced last week.

“Chaudhry Nisar is a senior party leader and a friend of Nawaz Sharif since 1980s. Pervaiz Rashid should have avoided going public on sensitive matters,” the younger Sharif was quoted as telling a senior journalist of a private TV channel. He also advised Chaudhry Nisar to be careful while responding to the remarks.

Mr Rashid had been made to resign as federal information minister over newsleaks issue back in 2016 and the ex-minister believed Chaudhry Nisar had pressured then prime minister Nawaz Sharif to sack him (Mr Rashid), for the former interior minister “wished to appease some quarters”.

In an interview, he also alleged that Chaudhry Nisar gave “misleading statements about the party during testing times” and that the party should take a decision against the politician from Chakri. “If time comes, his vote would be against Nisar,” said Mr Rashid.

Reacting to it, Chaudhry Nisar had said he didn’t seem it fit to respond to a man who is ‘barely in the party’ and added that if the newsleaks report was made public, the deeds of the person passing statements (against him) would be open to all.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2018