TAXILA: Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has ruled out joining any political party until the release of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, describing him as a close personal friend and saying he would not make any hasty political decision despite having multiple options available to him.

According to Sheikh Zeeshan Saeed, the spokesperson for Mr Nisar, while addressing delegations and prominent figures from his constituency at Chakri House, Mr Nisar discussed the prevailing political situation, local government elections and political developments in the country.

“Imran Khan is my close personal friend and is currently in jail, facing difficult circumstances. May Allah ease his difficulties. In his absence, and until his release, I have no intention of joining any political party,” he said.

However, Mr Nisar acknowledged his longstanding personal association with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying the latter had also been his friend for nearly three decades. He maintained that all political options remained open to him should he decide to join a party, but stressed that he would not rush into a decision.

“Even the incumbent Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has been my friend for the past 30 years. If I wanted to join a political party, all options would be available to me. However, I will not make any decision in haste,” he said.

In a pointed message to his political supporters, the former interior minister Nisar said his political future would be determined in consultation with the people of his constituency, whose trust and dignity, he maintained, remained his foremost consideration.

Rejecting any suggestion that his political choices were driven by the pursuit of power or parliamentary positions, Mr Nisar said he had previously turned down offers of important government positions rather than compromise on his principles.

He recalled resigning from the interior ministry during his tenure in the previous government, saying he had never been willing to sacrifice his self-respect and political convictions for office.

On the proposed local government elections, Mr Nisar accused the incumbent government of indecision, saying it appeared uncertain about holding the polls and had yet to reach a definitive position.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2026