Tuesday, June 7 2005 16:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Stating that it was "stunned" by the resignation of L K Advani as BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) President, Pakistan today (Jun 7, 2005) asserted his remarks that Mohammad Ali Jinnah was secular gave him a "new look" here and blamed the media for projecting him in "wrong way."

"I think everybody in Pakistan is surprised as to why this happened because this time in Pakistan he impressed by a new gesture and his remarks about Quaid-e-Azam and other things which have given him a new look in Pakistan," Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said.

He was reacting to the resignation of Advani, who returned home yesterday (Jun 6, 2005) after a weeklong tour of Pakistan, from the Presidentship of BJP.

"People who think that he (Advani) is a hardliner ... have forgotten his old statements (and are) looking towards a new Advani. And that was good for good relations," the Pakistani Minister said.

Observing that Advani got a "very warm" reception in Pakistan during his visit, he said, "Everyone is saying that things are moving in the right direction. But his resignation has stunned the whole nation."

"Of course, you can look that he has got lot of reception in Pakistan this time. His statement in Pakistan changed the total era. Everyone is saying he is a reasonable man and the media has projected him in the wrong way. He got an excellent reception in Pakistan this time," Ahmad said.

Advani's resignation came in the wake of RSS' (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) demand that he withdraw his statements in Pakistan specially that Jinnah was secular.