Newly-elected Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to keep portfolio of the all-powerful Interior Ministry with himself after two of his close aides - Pervez Khattak and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed - were adamant to get the slot in order to become top security czar of the country.
The sources privy to the development told Business Recorder here on Saturday that both Khattak and Rasheed were not ready to compromise on the ministry, while latter even skipped the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Khan on Saturday morning after not getting any positive response from him (Khan).
Khattak, who has served as chief minister of PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is also in the good books of Khan, was also not ready to forgo the top slot for the sake of Rasheed, who is an ally of PTI and has been standing with Khan for the last 10 years.
Given the situation, the sources added, Khan decided to retain the portfolio with himself and run it through an adviser. They said that the names of former inspectors general of police, Shoaib Suddle and Nasir Khan Durrani, are being considered to be the adviser to the prime minister to run the ministry.
"I think this is wonderful idea as both Durrani and Suddle are credible officers, and I'm sure they will do far better than Sheikh and Khattak," said a senior PTI leader who declined to be named.
He also said that there is also a possibility that the party may elect either Durrani or Suddle as senators in place of Chaudhry Sarwar who has already been nominated as new governor Punjab by the party Chairman Imran Khan. "If either Suddle or Durrani is made senator from Punjab in place of Chaudhry Sarwar, the Prime Minister will definitely give the portfolio of Interior Ministry to the senator, as Durrani has served as IG KP while Suddle is a white-collar crime expert," he added.
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