ISLAMABAD: Estranged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for the first time on Thursday directly attacked former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, asking him to be “thankful” to those who had helped him attain the present position in politics.

Referring to recent remarks of Mr Sharif that he had done favours to a number of people, the former interior minister in a statement said that only Allah — and no human being — could do favours to anyone.

“If you believe that you have done favours to people then you must remember that a number of people had also helped you and helped you attain the present position. You must have a realisation of it and must be thankful to them,” said Chaudhry Nisar, who has been sidelined by the party leadership for his opposition to the party’s stance of taking a position against the judiciary.

Chaudhry Nisar in the past had admitted that he had differences with the leadership over its policy of confrontation with the judiciary and the military. However, he had never passed personal remarks against Mr Sharif.

The former minister also criticised Mr Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, alleging that “due to her fiery speeches”, the party had entered a street with the dead end.

He said he had been avoiding giving any reaction that could damage the party and had been bearing all this with patience for the last one year and even limited his activities to his constituency. However, without elaborating he said that he had now been forced to issue the statement due to personal attacks being made against him by a “group” within the party. He further said that he could pay them back in the same coin, but he was restraining himself from doing so. However, he said, “this restraint is only for today and I reserve the right to respond if he is made a target of criticism through puppets”.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2018