When the PML-N was in power and Nawaz Sharif was the prime minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Shehbaz Sharif were very close friends. Perhaps no other two leaders had as good relations as these two.

There was an understanding between them that one day Shehbaz would succeed his elder brother as prime minister and the seat of Punjab chief minister to be vacated by him would go to the leader from Chakri, who belongs to a family of military men.

But the situation underwent a qualitative change during the third term of Mian Naweaz Sharif.

The PTI and PAT staged a long march on Islamabad against the PML-N government in August 2014, a protest that would be known probably as the longest ever aimed to bring down the setup.

Nisar Ali Khan was the interior minister in which capacity he decided to not allow the protesters to enter the red zone. However, Nawaz Sharif, overruling the interior minister, permitted them to go there.  

The moment Nisar came to know that he had been bypassed he resigned as interior minister.

Since then he is no more with the PML-N.  

Neither the then prime minister tried to bring him back into the PML-N nor the egoist Nisar ever sought a meeting with his former boss to resolve differences.

Despite his long affiliation with the PML-N, Nisar contested the 2018 election as an independent candidate from his traditional national assembly seat (NA-59- Rawalpindi) and was defeated by PTI’s Chaudhry Ghulam Sarwar. However, he won the provincial seat (PP-10- Rawalpindi) with a margin of 34,000 votes.

Since Nisar has never been a member of the Punjab Assembly, he did not take oath for three years, as a result of which his constituency went unrepresented for that duration. However, in May this year in consultation with his constituents he decided to have the experience of working as an MPA and took the oath.

That oath has saved his political career but so far he is not playing any role in politics, of which he has been an important player for decades.

He has not been approached by the PML-N; and he did not join the PTI despite the fact that he is classmate of Prime Minister Imran Khan who had invited him to his party. His ‘blood’ group doesn’t match with that of the PPP and, therefore, has little chance of joining hands with it.   

Launching a new political party and making it popular in the prevailing circumstances is not an easy task. Such a step will further divide the already divided society.  

Therefore, at present, he is at the crossroads.  

The question is which party should Nisar join and what role he should play in times ahead.

As of now, there is no room for him in the PML-N. His buddy – Shehbaz – who, on paper, is head of the party, stands sidelined. This he cannot play any role to bring him into the party.

Maryam Nawaz, a vice president, is calling the shots.

Shehbaz Sharif’s ‘authority’ as party head stood exposed when he recently floated the idea of a national government to steer the country out of diverse problems facing the country. He believed that grappling with these challenge is beyond the capacity of a single party.

A few days later Maryam was asked her comments on her uncle Shehbaz Sharif’s national government proposal.

In response, she said Shehbaz had given “national reconciliation” idea, not that of a national government.  

Simply flabbergasting that a vice president clarifying the idea given by the party chief.

(Still more unbelievable was a statement coming from Shehbaz’s spokesman Malik Ahmed that the PML-N president had really proposed national government, not national reconciliation).

Whatever the fact, Nisar regards Maryam too junior and will never agree to work under leadership.

Prudence demands that the veteran leader should join the PTI and benefit the country with the treasure of his experience.

Because of his family background he is in a better position to strengthen ties between the civil and military leadership. As he is fully aware of the sensitivities of the military leadership because of his long experience of working with Nawaz Sharif, he can avert such a possibility in future.  

Although Nisar is an MPA, the prime minister can assign him a role at the Centre to benefit from his capabilities and contacts.

The country needs stronger parties – and induction of Nisar will strengthen the PTI.  He can really be an asset with a treasure of political experience.  

Modalities can be worked out for coexistence of Nisar and Sarwar Khan.