Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday that an emergency meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) should be summoned to discuss the contents of a new book co-authored by former heads of Pakistani and Indian premier spy agencies.

He was referring to The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace released this Wednesday, co-authored by Lieutenant General (retd) Asad Durrani of Pakistan and A.S. Dulat of India.

Nawaz made the comment while speaking to journalists at the accountability court. He stated that the former DG ISI had made public some ‘serious information and insisted that it was now necessary to call an emergency meeting of the NSC. His statement came in view of the recent NSC meeting summoned on the suggestion of the Armed Forces of Pakistan following Nawaz’s statements about 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Regarding former military dictator Pervaiz Musharraf’s treason trial, Nawaz said no law could prevent the trial from reaching its logical conclusion. “It may happen today or in six months, but the trial will reach its logical conclusion.”

The PML-N quaid further said that Musharraf could not avoid the trial. “Musharraf knows that the trial against him is an open and shut case, which is why he is not coming to Pakistan. This is a serious treason case, such cases cannot be taken back,” he said.

Nawaz maintained that it was shame that a dictator was absconding, while a three-time PM had appeared before court 70 times.

“Musharraf used to show his fists to express his power. If you remember when Musharraf appeared in the parliament, he showed his fist. Where is that fist now? The coward who is sitting outside the country should hit himself with the same fist,” a visibly agitated Nawaz said.

The former PM also lashed out at his political opponent PTI chairman Imran Khan, saying that Khan had once cursed on the Parliament. “Imran is taking full advantage of the parliament, even though he cursed it,” he said.

Speaking at the accountability court on Thursday, Nawaz had remarked that it was the court not him who allowed the military dictator to leave the country. He said that the accountability references were a punishment given to him for initiating Musharraf’s treason trial. He also held that the ‘the sole purpose of the 2014 sit-ins was to pressurize me’.

Published in Daily Times, May 26^th 2018.