Panama case verdict today; Pak minister says 'will resign after judgement'

Islamabad: Pakistan's powerful Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan today said that he would resign and quit politics after the Supreme Court judgement on the Panamagate case on Friday in which embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family have been named for alleged corruption.

His announcement, which comes a day before the verdict in the high-profile case, stunned his supporters and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.

Khan expressed serious disappointment over the way he was kept away from Sharif by his rivals.

"I have decided to resign from the cabinet and Parliament after the (Panama) decision, whether it is in favour of the prime minister or against him," he told reporters.

Khan, who has 33 years of



association with Sharif, did not target the prime minister but criticised some of the party leaders who have been speaking against him (Khan) in presence of Sharif with an objective to create differences.

"I had no one-to-one meeting with the prime minister during the last about six weeks," Khan said as he complained that he was kept out of the crucial consultations on the Panama case which now hangs over Sharif's head like a sword.

Khan, known as a hardcore ideologue within the party, rejected the impression that he may join a new party, saying he can not even think of joining any other political outfit.

Speaking on civil-military relations, Khan said he had "never compromised on civilian supremacy" even though he had strong ties with the military.