Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed his anger with some senior ministers over not defending him in the National Assembly during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s speech, sources disclosed on Saturday.

Sources said that the ruling Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PML-N) ministers were not ready to give any response on their own, as they had not been instructed to do so.

Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif usually responded to Imran Khan’s statements in parliament, but he was absent form the House on that day. He reportedly listened to Imran Khan’s speech at his chamber because Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was sitting in the House. The tussle between Khawaja Asif and Chaudhry Nisar is an open secret, former he did attend the session, sources disclosed.

During Imran’s speech, Pervaiz Malik sent a message through the assembly staff to some senior ministers, asking who would respond to Imran Khan’s speech.

At that time, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Ahsan Iqbal, Pervez Rashid, Barjees Tahir, Riaz Pirzada and Sheikh Aftab were present in the House. Khawaja Saad Rafique, who was sitting with Chaudhry Nisar, a friend of Imran Khan, requested the interior minister to respond to Imran Khan’s speech, but he refused. This prompted Pervez Rashid to take stock of the environment. He was expected to respond to the PTI chief, but Nisar suddenly asked Saad Rafique to take the floor, which he did and tried to defend the prime minister and the speaker.

However, sources said that that premier wanted that some senior minister – Chaudhry Nisar or Khawaja Asif – issued a response inside and outside parliament. However, the response ended in a disappointment, which made the premier angry, sources concluded.