 On 11 April 1988, he became Minister of Defense before replacing General Abdelhamid Escheikh at the head of the Ministry of the Interior from 17 February 1991 to 24 January 1995, in a context of struggle against Islamism.Became an adviser to President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, he found the Ministry of Defense from June 13, 1996 to January 22, 1997, moved to the Ministry of Justice in 1997-1999 before becoming Minister of the Interior for the second time November 17, 1999.On January 23, 2001, following the filing of a complaint of torture against him, President Ben Ali decided to temporarily remove him from politics.