PESHAWAR, April 8: Reacting to a statement by Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao in which he had accused nationalists of deceiving people with their lofty slogans, the Awami National Party has said that it is the only party struggling for Pakhtun rights.

In a press release issued here on Sunday, ANP information secretary Zahid Khan said that Mr Sherpao had no right to criticised the party. He said the ANP had been struggling to ensure that the rights of Pakhtuns were not usurped.

“From controversial Kalabagh dam to the issue of royalty on Guguri gas fields in Karak, the ANP has been at the forefront to plea the case of Pakhtuns,” he said.

Mr Khan said that Mr Sherpao had no party and only the father and his son ran the party.

He said that the Patriots had also deserted Mr Sherpao and now he was out to issue unfounded and baseless statements against the ANP which had always strived for the downtrodden.

He said the interior minister was wanted by the National Accountability Bureau in corruption cases. “Mr Sherpao is the slave of the slaves,” he said and added that the ANP had reputation of being a party that pursued the politics of principles.

He said that Mr Sherpao was in the habit of becoming minister whereas the ANP did not care about ministries, but believed in the politics of serving Pakhtun.

He said that the ANP would continue its struggle for the attainment of Pakhtun rights.