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Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, during a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, said that Nawaz Sharif’s statements about the Mumbai attacks in an interview to Dawn were being misrepresented by Indian media — and people in Pakistan should not become party to the propaganda.
The press conference was held shortly after the conclusion of a National Security Council (NSC) session, which was convened to discuss “recent misleading media statement” regarding the Mumbai attacks.
According to DawnNewsTV, PM Abbasi dispelled the impression that Nawaz had said that the Mumbai attacks had been planned in Pakistan.
“Nawaz Sharif said that he neither said any such thing, nor can it be said on the basis of assumptions that planning for the Mumbai attacks was done in Pakistan,” said the PM, who met Nawaz shortly after the NSC meeting ended.
“Indian media is giving the issue a different hue, and we should not be a part of it,” he said.
The NSC did not condemn Nawaz, but incorrect reporting of the interview, the PM clarified, referring to the earlier jointed statement by the country’s top civil-military body.
“There was no talk [by Nawaz] of the Mumbai attacks being planned in Pakistan,” Abbasi explained.
“Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan has not permitted its soil to be used for terrorism,” he added.
“The participants observed that it was very unfortunate that the opinion arising out of either misconceptions or grievances was being presented in disregard of concrete facts and realities,” a press release issued after the meeting had said.
“The participants unanimously rejected the allegations and condemned the fallacious assertions.”
“The facts should be made public,” he added.
Abbasi, who was elected the PM after Nawaz Sharif was ousted as the country’s premier by the Supreme Court in the Panamagate judgement, reiterated his support for his predecessor. “As the prime minister, I stand with Nawaz Sharif,” he said, adding that Nawaz would remain the party’s quaid.
He also clarified that he was not resigning, saying, “I will stay the prime minister until 12am on May 31.”
The PM asserted that civil-military relations remain the same as before. He added that he had made the decision to call the NSC meeting a day earlier.
The press conference has not been aired on any television channel so far. Samaa TV, however, claimed on its website to have run the presser.
