PESHAWAR, Jan 2: NWFP Awami National Party President Nasim Wali Khan has called upon the Afghan interim setup to release all those Pakistan’s pro-Taliban volunteer fighters who she thinks were lured by some religious parties’ leaders through hollow slogans.

Certain religious extremists from Pakistan took advantage of the Pakhtoons’ love for Islam, she said in a press statement, issued here on Tuesday.

“Such extremist elements tried to achieve personal gains by luring the Pakhtoons through emotional slogans.”

The ANP leader called upon the interim setup to release all those “innocent volunteer fighters”, who, she said, had not been part and parcel of any religious extremist organizations.

PUBLIC MEETINGS: The ANP decided at a meeting here on Tuesday to hold public meetings in all the districts of the province to commemorate the death anniversary of the Pakhtoon nationalist leader, Ghaffar Khan.

The meeting, attended by the party’s district office-bearers and representatives, finalized a schedule of district-wise meetings to be held from Jan 20 to Feb 13. Begum Nasim Wali Khan will take the chair.

PAKISTAN-INDIA TENSION: The Awami National Party has called upon the governments of Pakistan and India to show restrain, saying that solution to any  of the issues confronting the two neighbours does not lie in war.

In a press statement, issued here on Tuesday, ANP Information Secretary Haji Mohammad Adeel remarked that war was not a solution to any issue rather it would devastate the people of both the countries.

“Pakistan and India could not resolve the issues despite wars in the past that caused irreparable economic losses to both the countries.”