LAHORE: Notwithstanding the fact that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif`s last-ditch efforts to stop Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan from going public with his reservations proved futile, the PML-N is optimistic the interior minister will not go against the party interests come what may.

Some within the party, however, see it as hope against hope after the interior minister`s outburst.

`Chaudhry Nisar and the Sharifs have enjoyed great relations in the last 30 years. If there have been some issues for the last two months or so, they will be settled soon. Being a loyal leader of the party, he will not say goodbye to it and keep the party interests supreme during testing times,` said Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.

Speaking to Dawn on Thursday, Sanaullah (who is also Shahbaz Sharif`s trusted lieutenant) denied the impression that Chaudhry Nisar had not entertained the request of the chief minister. `In fact, Chaudhry Nisar did not quit after the persuasion of Shahbaz Sharif,` he said.

During the last two days Shahbaz Sharif travelled to Islamabad and held back-to-back meetings with Chaudhry Nisar and pleaded him not to go ahead with his planned presser to vent his frustration for allegedly being ignored by the premier in consultative meetings on Panama Papers case and other allied matters.