Daily Times

Opposition leader in the National Assembly Khurshid Shah Monday urged Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to brief parliament on the National Security Council (NSC) meeting held earlier in the day.

Shah said that it was the government’s responsibility to deal with the fallout emanating from the former premier’s statement.

He said he could not attend the NSC meeting as he was unaware of it. “I had reached Islamabad late in the night so I found that I was called to attend the meeting it in the morning.”

Commenting on the Nawaz’s controversial remarks, the senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader stressed that words could be misinterpreted, and those on important posts should speak carefully. “One should be cautious while making such statements given the circumstances.”

Meanwhile, senior PPP leader Rehman Malik urged Nawaz to retract his statement. Speaking to the media, the former interior minister said Nawaz had implicated Pakistan through his statement on the Mumbai attacks. “I categorically deny our institutions involvement in it.”

Malik claimed that Ajmal Kasab was recruited by India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and added that India had denied Pakistan access to Kasab for investigations. “They did not give us access to the evidence either.”

The PPP leader said Nawaz could be called at the United Nations due to his statement. He refuted that the delay in trial was due to Pakistan. Malik also encouraged Nawaz to apologise.

Moreover, the PPP on Monday submitted an adjournment motion against the controversial statement made by Nawaz. The motion states that such “irresponsible statements will adversely affect our national security and diplomatic efforts there the issue should see a thorough discussion in the national assembly.”

Nawaz on May 12, during an interview with a local daily, had stated: “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 immediately picked up by Indian media, which termed the former prime minister’s statement as a confession of Pakistan’s role in the Mumbai attacks that left 166 people dead.

Published in Daily Times, May 15^th 2018.