TLP chief Saad Rizvi insisted on closure of French embassy in talks, says Pakistan Interior Minister

Addressing a ceremony in Lahore, the interior minister was quoted as saying by Dawn News: "[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," he said.

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, Dawn News reported.

He was one of the clerics who had facilitated talks between the government and the proscribed group.

Both the groups reached an agreement following the three weeks impasse.

Speaking a day after the government announced the agreement, the cleric had claimed to Dawn News "lies were spoken on television about the talks [with the TLP], that they had demanded the expulsion of the French ambassador, the closure of the embassy and to break ties with the European Union."