Mumbai incident: NSC to meet Monday over misleading media statement, says DG ISPR
May 13, 2018
ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) has been suggested to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to discuss misleading media statement on the Mumbai incident, Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Sunday.
"NSC meeting suggested to Prime Minister to discuss recent misleading media statement regarding Bombay incident. Being held tomorrow morning," DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted.
Nawaz, in a recent interview to Dawn newspaper, 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?”
His remarks were played up by the Indian media as an admission of Pakistan's involvement in the terrorist attacks, even though similar questions and statements have been raised from civilian and security officials in Pakistan earlier.
Nawaz's remarks back Modi's stance: Sherry Rehman
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman on Sunday slammed Nawaz Sharif for his statement on the Mumbai attacks and said it backed Modi's stance.
She said that the former prime minister’s statement compromised Pakistan’s narrative in the war against terrorism and demanded that he retract his remarks. "PPP rejects Nawaz Sharif's statement and stance [on Mumbai attacks]. Is he [Nawaz] an analyst that he's giving out such statements?" she questioned.
Rehman, also the leader of the opposition in the Senate, said questions were being raised all around the world following Nawaz's remarks.
"Why didn't Nawaz also say that Pakistan tried [very] hard to cooperate with India in the Mumbai trials?" she added.
India used Mumbai attacks to malign Pakistan: Nisar
Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, weighing on the recent wave of discussion on the 2008 Mumbai attacks, remarked earlier today that the incident was used by India to malign Pakistan.
“Pakistan was heavily criticised over the Mumbai attacks,” he shared in a statement while referring to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s remarks on the Mumbai attacks.
“India used the Mumbai attacks for its own despicable plans,” said Nisar, who has swayed away from Nawaz since his ouster last year.
He also blamed India for showing aggression and refusing to cooperate during the investigation into the case. “The lack of cooperation by India was the biggest hurdle in the investigation. India wasn’t interested in a transparent investigation,” he said.
PML-N leader Marvi Memon backed Nisar's comments, saying that his remarks about the Mumbai incident were grounded in patriotism and facts. She added that "others were silent" on the matter but she was not.
Defence analyst Lieutenant General (retired) Amjad Shoaib said that India always used delaying tactics in the Mumbai attacks case and never cooperated with Pakistan in the probe.
Major General (retired) Aijaz Awan, sharing his thoughts on the issue, said it was "shameful" of Nawaz to blame the lack of progress in the case on Pakistan's judicial system.
Nawaz's statement misinterpreted by media: PML-N
The PML-N issued a clarification earlier today stating that Nawaz Sharif's remarks were "grossly misinterpreted by Indian media".
"Unfortunately, a section of Pakistani electronic and social media has intentionally or unintentionally not only validated but has lent credence to the malicious propaganda of Indian media without going through the full facts of the statement," a party spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that Nawaz's comments about Shehbaz Sharif's role in the party's election campaign are also being misinterpreted.
"Mian Shehbaz Sharif is the elected President of PML-N and, in this capacity, he is already at the forefront of the election campaign, taking the PML-N message to every nook and corner of the country," the statement read.
Shehbaz, in a series of tweets posted later in the day, said the PML-N "rejects all assertions, direct or implied" in the media reports. "We strongly believe that interests of Pakistan [are] supreme to all personal & political interests," he added.
"There can and shall never be any compromise on any national interest," he continued.
