Islamabad: In the backdrop of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif admitting role of cross-border militants in 2008 Mumbai attacks, Pakistan military's top civil body will hold a meeting on Monday to consider situation arising from Sharif's remarks.
"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?" Sharif had asked in an interview to Dawn on Friday.
Pakistan has been continuously denying its involvement in sponsoring the 2008 Mumbai attacks through Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in which 166 people were killed. In the attacks, 10 gunmen swarmed across targets including two luxury hotels, a Jewish centre and a train station in a rampage that lasted several days. Across India, Sharif's words are being regarded as an admission of Pakistan's involvement in the 2008 attacks.
A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) has been scheduled on the army's "suggestion" to discuss the "recent misleading media statement regarding Mumbai incident", said Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor.
In a message on Twitter, the DG ISPR said: "NSC meeting suggested to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to discuss recent misleading media statement regarding Bombay incident. Being held tomorrow morning."
The former prime minister has also criticised Pakistan's foreign policies."We have isolated ourselves. Despite giving sacrifices, our narrative is not being accepted. Afghanistan's narrative is being accepted, but ours is not. We must look into it," he had said in the interview.
However, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) in a statement defended Sharif's remarks regarding the Mumbai attacks, saying the party and its supreme leader "need no certificate from anybody on their commitment and capacity to preserve, protect and promote Pakistan's national security".
The party said that Nawaz's statement has been 'misinterpreted'.Meanwhile, Opposition leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman lashed out at Sharif over his remarks regarding the Mumbai attacks, and questioned the PML-N government's own performance in tackling extremism.
Moreover, Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman has also criticised Sharif's remarks.(UNI)