ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced on Saturday that he had no intention of continuing to indulge in a row with the Leader of Opposition in the Senate, Aitzaz Ahsan.

The announcement came at a press conference the minister addressed at Pun­jab House after being persuaded by the PML-N leadership to show restraint at a crucial time when the parliament was united against a perceived threat to democracy.

However, he proposed that a commission comprising one to three retired judges known for their integrity be formed to probe allegations levelled by the two sides against each other.

“Let the charge-sheet against me be treated as an FIR,” he said and declared that he would resign as a minister and quit politics if even one per cent of the charges were proved true.

Judicial commission proposed to probe allegations from both sides

He asked Mr Ahsan to nominate members of the commission with his little concurrence and hinted that he would have no objection if retired Justice Wajihuddin Ahmad and retired Justice Tariq Mehmood were nominated.

He said whatever happened in the parliament on Friday was something which should not have happened. He said Mr Ahsan had made some remarks against him while talking to reporters outside the Supreme Court and his statement was a reaction to it.

The controversy should not have been brought to the parliament, Chaudhry Nisar said. “The parliament is debating future of the country and democracy but the discussion was set aside and I became the topic of a debate,” he deplored.

He said he had a right to respond to remarks against him and even his deceased brother.

He had been made target of out of context criticism, the minister said, adding that he always reacted when something was said against him and his party and there was nothing to be sensitive about it. “This is democratic process. If you do not want a rejoinder, you should avoid making statements.”

He said he was not the one who had brought the arguments going on outside the parliament to the house. He wanted to respond to the unprecedented criticism on the floor of the house but was persuaded by the prime minister not to do so.

He said he had agreed to refrain from responding there and then on the condition that he would express his views at a press conference.

“My party’s leadership kept on defusing the situation but I think by my conscience which is not subservient to any interest or expediency. I am in politics for the sake of respect and will quit politics if I do not get it,” he said in an emotional tone.

He said to err was human and he might have made mistakes but these must be honest mistakes without an iota of bad intention. He said his loyalty with the PML-N was based on his style of defending his leaders in their absence and openly expressing dissenting views and voicing complaints in front of them.

He indirectly rejected the rumours of making behind the scenes attempts to become prime minister and secretly forming a strong group within the PML-N by saying that he could not even imagine of making a decision against his conscience.

Chaudhry Nisar said he had sought permission from the prime minister to address the press conference in his personal capacity and even after resigning as minister but was not allowed to do so.

“Finally I decided to go the way the prime minister wants. My personal views are not important than the collective approach. I have decided to set aside my self-respect because the country and democracy are more important to me.”

Aitzaz Ahsan welcomed Chaudhry Nisar’s remarks as a step to betterment. Talking to a private TV channel, he said he had reacted because he had been accused of using politics to promote his business interests and also benefiting from LPG quota.

“I can prove these allegations wrong at any forum,” he said while responding to Chaudhry Nisar’s proposal for constitution of a commission.

As the leader of opposition in the Senate, he said, it was his right to criticise the government which should demonstrate patience.

He described reconciliation with Chaudhry Nisar as another defeat of anti-democratic forces.

Referring to the protests launched by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, he said under “plan-A” the two parties were supposed to bring a million protesters to Islamabad but could not do so. “Under plan-B they moved to D-Chowk inside the red zone and failed in that as well. Under plan-C Prime Minister House and Parliament building were stormed.”

Asked if there was a “plan-D” also, he replied in affirmative but said the plan had also been foiled after reconciliation between Chaudhry Nisar and him.”Let’s see what plan-E is.”

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2014