Staff Reporter Lahore
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Thursday said that the chief of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, Saad Rizvi, had insisted on the closure of the French embassy in his talks with the interior minister.
Addressing a ceremony in Lahore, the interior minister said: “[Contrary to what] one person — who is very respectable and is a major religious figure from Karachi — [says], when I spoke with Saad Rizvi, he was insistent on [the closure of the] French embassy and he was convinced that this [issue] be brought in the [National] Assembly.
“I have made signatures on this [previous agreement] and I am steadfast on this. As for the rest of the problems, two ministers have been appointed and they will answer your queries.”
Responding to a question, Rashid said that he had received instructions from Prime Minister Imran Khan during the ceremony and “he said the instruction is this that [it is better] if one minister speaks [on the TLP issue]”.
The interior minister’s comments came after Mufti Muneebur Rehman dispelled the impression on Monday that the TLP had demanded the expulsion of the French ambassador and the closure of the embassy.
