Controversial remarks: ANP postpones Islamabad rally as Ijaz Shah tenders apology

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) postponed its protest rally scheduled for November 11 in Islamabad against the controversial remarks of Interior Minister Brig (retd) Ijaz Shah after a high-level team of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf comprising federal ministers Pervez Khattak and Ijaz Shah visited the ANP central secretariat in Peshawar on Monday evening.

Talking to media persons, Interior Minister Brig (retd) Ijaz Shah said that he had apologised not only to the ANP leadership, but also thewhole Pakhtun nation for the remarks, which had created mistrust. He asserted that his remarks were wrongly interpreted in the media. “I did not mean what you (media) thought or interpreted,” he replied to a question that in what context he had uttered these remarks.

ANP provincial president Aimal Wali Khan said his party had planned to stage a protest rally in Islamabad on November 11 and all the party leaders and activists were fully prepared for it. “But now keeping in view the Pakhtun traditions, we honored the PTI jirga that visited the Bacha Khan Markaz to regret and apologize for the controversial remarks,” he said and added that the party had called off its protest in Islamabad.

He said the ANP had also demanded the resignation of the interior minister and formation of a truth commission but after the explanation offered by the interior minister, the party also took back its demands. The ANP leader said that the federal ministers acknowledged the sacrifices rendered by the ANP leaders and workers in the fight against terror. He said that they also acknowledged the sacrifices of the ANP and the entire Pakhtun nation for the restoration of peace in the country. Pervez Khattak thanked ANP leadership for honouring their jirga and said that a misunderstanding had been created about the PTI government and ministers.