ANP demands apology from Nawaz for calling citizens of K-P ‘fools’

ANP spokesperson demands former premier retract his statement

The Awami National Party (ANP) demanded an apology on Sunday from PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif over his remark of referring to the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as 'fools'.

"Some of our people are easily fooled. And the easiest to fool are some people from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. This disease has originated from there [K-P]," Nawaz said a day earlier while releasing his party's manifesto in Lahore. 

مسلم لیگ ن کے قائد اور تین بار وزیراعظم پاکستان کے عہدے پر رہنے والے شخص کو یہ زیب نہیں دیتا کہ ایک صوبے کے عوام کو بیوقوف کہے۔ وہ ایسے وقت میں جب انکی دختر اسی صوبے میں انتخابی مہم چلارہی تھی۔ یہ لوگ کس منہ سے یہاں آکر ووٹ مانگیں گے۔ ماضی میں اسی جماعت نے ہمارے حقوق دینے سے… pic.twitter.com/XJORW2X1B9

— Samar Haroon Bilour (@SamarHBilour) January 27, 2024

ANP spokesperson Samar Haroon Bilour in a post on X said such language does not suit the leader of PML-N and a person who attained premiership thrice to refer to the people of a province as fools. 

She added that Nawaz's remark came at a time when his own daughter, Maryam Nawaz, was canvassing in the province. 

“On what basis are these people seeking vote from people?” asked Bilour.

Criticising the PML-N, the ANP spokesperson said the same party had earlier refused to give the people of K-P their due rights. “Maybe Nawaz is repeating history,” she added.

"We know that any individual who has a domicile from Punjab is considered respectable in this country, but the leaders of K-P are still present."

Condemning Nawaz for his language, the ANP spokesperson demanded the PML-N supremo to issue a public apology and retract his statement against the people of K-P.

Read: Nawaz to abolish NAB, hold judges accountable

A day earlier, Nawaz took a swipe at the state of affairs in K-P, asserting that those who left the country in a state of disarray were the ones who had initially disrupted it.

He questioned the outcome of the promised ‘Naya Pakistan’ by PTI founder Imran Khan and blamed the citizens of K-P for bringing the PTI into power.

“What do the people of K-P say? Did the province progress? Has ‘Naya Pakistan’ been made?” he asked.

Addressing a rally, the PML-N chief asked the attendees about what happened to the promise of ‘Naya Pakistan’ made by PTI's founder.

Nawaz promised a slew of development projects in K-P if his party was voted to power on Feb 8.