- Abbasi suggests formation of truth and reconciliation commission
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday criticised lawmakers for giving their opinion on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s controversial statement on 2008 Mumbai attack “without knowing the facts first” while asserting that remarks attributed to Nawaz were “misreported”.
Speaking during a session of the National Assembly, the prime minister said that the politicians fell victim to the Indian media, which “misinterpreted” the comments made by Nawaz during an interview with Dawn.
“Do we want to let India use us for its own motives?” Abbasi questioned.
“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,” Nawaz had questioned.
Throwing his weight behind the three-time ousted premier and party Quaid, PM Abbasi said that issues related to national security must not be exploited for political point scoring. Nawaz did not say that the militants were deliberately sent from Pakistan for Mumbai attacks, he added.
Speaking further, Abbasi said Nawaz has not said anything that was not said before. Such remarks were made in the past as well by Imran Khan, former interior minister Rehman Malik, former president Pervez Musharraf and former director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence Shuja Pasha.
Pakistan has a consistent policy of not allowing the use of its soil for attacks against any other country and that this policy has been followed by governments in the past as well, he reiterated.
Defending Nawaz, he said it was Nawaz Sharif who made the defence of this country invincible and that no one has the authority to issue a “certificate of patriotism”. “However, if parliament desires it can form a truth and reconciliation commission to go deep into the issue,” the PM added.
Earlier, Shah Mehmood Qureshi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regretted the statement of former prime minister about Mumbai attacks. Shazia Marri of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said that the statement “hurt the sentiments and emotions of the nation”.
Sahibzada Tariqullah of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) said the matter should be investigated.
While another lawmaker said Nawaz Sharif’s statement negated the sacrifices rendered by the security personnel and the people in the decade-long war on terror.
