PM Imran won't give NRO to anyone: Ijaz Shah

The minister denies slapping PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Interior Minister Brigadier Ijaz Shah on Monday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will quit government but will not give NRO to anyone, adding that the government will complete its five year tenure.

In his first ever interview in Dunya News program “On the Front with Kamran Khan”, he said that it was unfortunate how his character was maligned.   WATCH FULL PROGRAM HERE: On the Front with Kamran Shah - Exclusive Interview of Interior Minister Ijaz Shah

Regarding his relation with former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf, he said that the former president was his leader and instructor in the Pakistan Army.

He said he was the first man to come to know when Nawaz Sharif decided to appoint Musharraf as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), adding that I was the first person who telephoned him, gave him the good news and congratulated on becoming the COAS.

“The was the first time that when he assumed his powers as the COAS, only then I served under him otherwise we were colleagues,” he added.

Regarding Ziauddin Butt’s allegations of stabbing in his back, betraying him, spreading disinformation against him to then army chief and taking the conditions to when Musharraf imposed Marshal Law in 1999, Ijaz Shah said that he wish he had done it because if he had done it Ziauddin Butt wouldn’t have become when he assumed charge on October 12.

Regarding 1999 Marshal Law, the minister said that there were misunderstandings between incarcerated former prime minister and Gen (r) Musharraf from day one when Mian Nawaz Sharif asked the former army chief to fire three officers and the second biggest reason of clash was the appointment of DG ISI as Musharraf wanted Gen Aziz to assume charge as DG ISI.

To a question regarding his role in the 1999 Marshal Law, Ijaz Shah said that he had no role in that, adding that only Mian Nawaz Sharif played a role in that.

To another question whether former prime minister had asked to take back Musharraf’s plane back to India, the minister said that Nawaz Sharif had said that the former COAS should not land in Karachi.

Shah said he was the first person after former president’s family who met him after he took over Sharif’s government.

To a question regarding slapping Sharif when he was arrested after Gen (r) Musharraf took over his government, Shah denied slapping the three-times former prime minister. He denied slapping former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif after he was arrested when former president Genera (r) Pervez Musharraf.

Regarding allegations against him of engineering 2002 elections, the minister said everybody is unsafe, adding how can someone join any other until they them self want to join. “These are the bangles of happiness which people wear with happiness.”

He also denied his role in forming Pakistan Peoples’ Party Patriot (PPPP) with a faction from PPP.

To a question regarding torturing politicians, Ijaz Shah said that he never tortured any politician, in fact he provided relief to them. He said there was no authenticity in reports of torturing PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah, while Javed Hashmi was tried in the court for publishing anti-army pamphlets and he was sent to the jail.

Regarding Benazir Bhutto’s murder, the minister said Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsood was behind the assassination of the former prime minister.

“I never met her [Benazir Bhutto],” he said and added she might have given his name because he was against the deal after which she returned to the country from exile.

Regarding Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and American operation, he said that he has doubt on all this operation, adding that a man whom the intelligence agencies of all the world had been looking for cannot hide this long.

The minister said the Prime Minister Imran Khan will quit government but will not give NRO to anyone, adding that the government will complete its five year tenure.