Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman on Sunday slammed Nawaz Sharif for his recent remarks on the Mumbai attacks and said her party strongly rejects his stance on the issue.
Addressing a press conference here, leader of opposition in Senate said that the former prime minister’s statement compromised Pakistan’s narrative in the war against terrorism and demanded that he must retract his remarks. “PPP rejects Nawaz Sharif’s statement and stance on Mumbai attacks. Is he [Nawaz] an analyst that he’s giving out such statements?” she questioned.
Nawaz, in a recent interview to a local newspaper, 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 played up by the Indian media as an admission of Pakistan’s involvement in the terrorist attacks, even though similar questions and statements have been raised from civilian and security officials in Pakistan earlier.
Rehman said questions were being raised all around the world following Nawaz’s remarks. “Why didn’t Nawaz also say that Pakistan tried very hard to cooperate with India in the Mumbai trials? He is simply backing Modi’s stance,” she continued. “We would not allow Pakistan’s honour to be violated and its narrative to be compromised,” she said. “Pakistan is fighting the war against terrorism alone. Our armed forces and the nation have given countless sacrifices in the war against terrorism,” she said. “Terrorism is a global issue, not just one country’s. PPP will fight for Pakistan’s case,” she pledged. Rehman said that the PPP wants the Mumbai trials to be taken to their logical conclusion and the perpetrators be punished. Pakistan has tried to cooperate with India in the case from the start, she pointed out. “United States also said Pakistan had no role in the Mumbai attacks. Nawaz thinks he has no immunity. He’s heading a major party yet he thinks only about himself,” she said, and emphasised the need of a foreign minister. “It is regrettable that the country does not have a foreign minister for four years,” she lamented.
Published in Daily Times, May 14th 2018.
