Pakistan Interior Minister to quit

Islamabad July 27 (IANS) Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Thursday vowed to quit politics and end his association with the ruling PML-Nawaz if and when the Supreme Court rules on the Panama Papers case involving Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

"The day the Supreme Court announces its verdict I will resign and will never fight any election (after that) " Nisar said adding he was addressing an "extremely difficult" press conference of his life.

"Someone who gave 33 years to (PML-N) cannot leave it just like that. But my 33 years worth of service seems to be reaching an end. It gives me great satisfaction that nobody believed I would leave: even my opponents wouldn t believe it " Geo TV quoted him as saying.

Nisar said he was a victim of internal intrigues and for the past month and a half "I was suddenly excluded from the PML-N meetings... I was not invited to consultative meetings".

The news conference came hours after Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif -- the beleaguered Prime Minister s brother -- met Nisar in Islamabad a second meeting between the two party leaders in less than 24 hours.

Shahbaz Sharif was reportedly accompanied by other PML-N leaders including Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

"I was told by senior leaders not to do this press conference. I told them I had to " said the minister.

Pakistan s top court has reserved its verdict in the case relating to the Sharif family s alleged illegal offshore wealth revealed by the Panama Papers. The Sharif family has denied any wrongdoing.

--IANS
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