Ex- Pak PM Nawaz Sharif defends remarks over Mumbai attack

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday defended his recent remarks about the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, saying he will speak the truth no matter what the consequences are.

Sharif, for the first time, publicly acknowledged in an interview that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai.

The former premier, 68, also said that Pakistan has isolated itself.

Sharif's comments have stirred a controversy in Pakistan, prompting the National Security Committee (NSC) to call a high-level meeting to reject the statement. Pakistan's top civil-military body rejected as incorrect and misleading remarks by Sharif.

Sharif's response today on the controversy is contradictory to the stance taken by his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, whose president Shehbaz Sharif said yesterday that the party "rejects all claims made in the report, be they direct or indirect", Dawn newspaper reported.

"What did I say that was wrong in the interview?" 68-year-old Sharif asked while talking to reporters outside an accountability court in Islamabad, where he is facing corruption charges.

In an exclusive interview to Dawn published on Saturday, Sharif had said: "Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can't we complete the trial?" He was referring to the Mumbai attacks-related trial proceedings which have stalled in the Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court. 

After the publication of the interview, his party issued a clarification, saying that the Indian media had "grossly misinterpreted" his remarks.

Sharif today dispelled the notion that the comments were falsely attributed to him, saying that he will speak the truth come what may.

"Former president Pervez Musharraf, former interior minister Rehman Malik and former National Security Adviser Major-General (retd) Mehmood Durrani had already confirmed [what I said]," he added.

Nawaz regretted that those who ask questions are being termed traitors in the media.

"Despite our 50,000 sacrifices [of lives], why is the world not paying heed to our narrative? And the person who is asking this question has been labelled a traitor." 

He also called out those local media outlets that had criticised his words. "I am being called a traitor on the media they [the media] are being made to call me a traitor. Are those who tore apart the country and the Constitution patriots? Are those who pulled out judges from their offices patriots?" 

"Will speak the truth no matter what the consequences are," he said.

When a reporter pointed to Sharif's acknowledgment of the presence of "non-state actors" in the country, his daughter Maryam, who was accompanying him, replied: "So then who was Zarb-i-Azb [military operation] conducted against?" Operation Zarb-e-Azb was a joint military offensive conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant group in 2014.

According to Dawn newspaper, differences within the ruling party surfaced following the issuance of contradictory statements by the Sharif brothers on the issue. 

Pak NSC rejects Sharif's remarks as misleading

A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), presided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, was held to discuss the situation arising out of the recent by Sharif about the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The NSC meeting reviewed the recent statement in the context of Mumbai attacks and unanimously termed the remarks as incorrect and misleading, said a statement issued after the meeting.

The NSC said it was unfortunate and regrettable that concrete evidence and facts were ignored in the statement.

"The participants observed that it was very unfortunate that the opinion arising out of either misconceptions or grievances was being presented in disregard of concrete facts and realities. The participants unanimously rejected the allegations and condemned the fallacious assertions," Dawn newspaper quoted the statement as saying.

According to the statement, it was recalled during the meeting that the delay in conclusion of Mumbai attack case was caused by India, not Pakistan.

"Besides many other refusals during the investigation, the denial of access to the principal accused, Ajmal Qasab, and his extraordinarily hurried execution became the core impediment in the finalisation of the trial," it said.

Pakistan continues to await cooperation from India regarding the arrest of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and the Samjhota Express attack, the statement said.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Abbasi met Sharif.

The NSC meeting was attended by Defence and Foreign Minister Khurram Dastgir, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, National Security Adviser (NSA) Retired Lt General Nasser Khan Janjua, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Hayat, the director generals of Inter-Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence, and the three services chiefs.