Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday blamed India for showing aggression and refusing to cooperate during investigation into the 2008 Mumbai attacks. “The lack of cooperation by India was the biggest hurdle in the investigation. India wasn’t interested in a transparent investigation,” he said in a statement, while weighing on the recent wave of discussion on the Mumbai attacks following former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s controversial statement.
“The attack occurred in India where 90 per cent of the proofs were present but they refused to share those with Pakistan,” he remarked.
“We kept on requesting India to cooperate in the case. We have always cooperated with India over information sharing pertaining to all incidents of terrorism,” he added.
“India always shows aggression when it comes to incidents such as that of Kulbushan Jadhav,” Nisar said, referring to the Indian spy facing death sentence in Pakistan. He said that India wasn’t even willing to cooperate with the investigation committee formed by the Pakistani courts. “The committee wasn’t even allowed to travel to India at first.”
The former interior minister said India used the incident to malign Pakistan. “Pakistan was heavily criticised over the Mumbai attacks. India used the incident for its own despicable plans,” said Nisar, who has swayed away from Nawaz since his ouster last year. He remarked that he is completely aware of all aspects of the case as he served as the country’s interior minister.
With regards to Ajmal Kasab, who India claims to be the sole attacker of the incident to be captured alive, Nisar said he was the sole eyewitness of the attacks. “The Pakistani investigation team wasn’t allowed to ask questions from Ajmal.” India announced his death sentence and ‘removed’ him, Nisar said, alleging that the death sentence process was hurried so that the facts are never brought before the world. All of Pakistan’s requests, letters and announcements regarding the Mumbai attacks have been recorded, which are safe with the FIA, he added.
Speaking to a private TV channel, State Interior Minister Talal Chaudry said Nawaz has made the same statement which has previously been made by other state institutions, including security chiefs. He claimed that these ‘third-grade accusations’ are being made against PML-N chief owing to his popularity ahead of the upcoming general elections. He added that they will neither give a clarification on the matter nor do they need a certificate from anyone.
In an exclusive interview with a local newspaper on Friday, Nawaz had criticised the apparent delay in the conclusion of the Mumbai attacks trial. “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 had asked in the interview.
Mainstream Indian news outlets, since the interview was published on Saturday, have been playing up Sharif’s statement on the attacks as a ‘confession’ of Pakistan’s role in the Mumbai incident.
Published in Daily Times, May 14th 2018.