Nawaz’s narrative more dangerous than his statement: Shah Mahmood

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Friday that the narrative of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was more dangerous than his recent statement.

Talking to media in Islamabad, Qureshi expressed fears that Pakistan might face sanctions from the United States on the basis of Nawaz’s controversial remarks on the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

He said that the Pakistan Muslim League-N supremo's political narrative was unsuccessful within and outside the party.

Discussing the issue of the caretaker prime minister, the PTI leader told the journalists that there does not yet exist a consensus over a candidate for the position. 

"We have not been consulted for the candidature of the caretaker prime minister."

The PTI leader further said that if the government has a fair intention then it should work on the constitutional amendment for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Shah said that the PTI has always favoured the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and it wants elections including local body polls to be held in the area.

The former premier's statements in an interview generated much criticism and backlash for him.

Nawaz, in an interview to Dawn newspaper published on May 12, 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 wrongfully played up by the Indian media as an admission of Pakistan's involvement in the terrorist attacks and also led to criticism from opposition political parties in Pakistan and the local media.