ISLAMABAD – Nawaz Sharif’s controversial remark – linking the 26/11 Mumbaiterror attacks to Pakistan – is being seen here as an attempt to putinternational pressure on the country’s military establishment, as thecorruption trials against him and his family members enter a decisive phase.
On one side he wants to put pressure on Pakistan Army and on other hand hewants to tell international establishment that he is the one who can rootout religious extremism from Pakistan.
The scathing comments also come on the heels of a recent announcement bythe country’s anti-graft watchdog that it had initiated an investigationagainst the former PM into alleged laundering of $4.9 billion to India,citing a World Bank report.
The World Bank was quick to reject the NAB claim, saying the allegationsreferred in the press statement were ‘incorrect’. Sharif had consequentlysought an apology from NAB and demanded the resignation of its chairman,Justice (r) Javed Iqbal if the anti-graft body fails to prove moneylaundering allegations against him.
In an exclusive interview link> to Englishdaily Dawn’s Cyril Almeida that appeared on Saturday, Sharif was askedabout the reasons for his ouster. However, instead of replying to theactual query, the ruling party’s ‘supreme leader’ steered the conversationtowards national security and foreign policy.
“Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should weallow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it tome. Why can’t we complete the trial?” alluding to the 2008 Mumbaiattacks-related trials which have stalled in a Rawalpindi anti-terrorismcourt.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable. This is exactly what we are struggling for.President Putin has said it. President Xi has said it,” Sharif was quotedas saying.
Referring to the trial of former military dictator retired General PervezMusharraf, he said, “The Constitution has to be supreme. There is no otherway. Look, we put a dictator on trial; it had never been done before.”
The Indian media picked up Nawaz’s statement and headlined it as“Pakistan’s confession of ‘playing a role in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks’”.
Several publications in India as well as the current affairs shows acrossthe border gave extraordinary coverage to the statement. Headlines like‘Nawaz Sharif questions Pakistan’s policy to allow ‘non-state actors’ tocross border and kill people’ that referred to 26/11 Mumbai terror attackswere shared on the Indian media.
Condemning Sharif’s remarks, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief ImranKhan claimed that “Nawaz Sharif has started a war against the army”.
Addressing a public rally in Karachi, Khan lashed out at the PML-N supremofor giving “anti-Pakistan statement to please foreign forces includingIndia”.
The PTI chairman also alleged that Nawaz tried to save his corruption bytargeting the apex court, joint investigation team for Panama Leaks caseand army.