Maryam Imran
While commenting on the matters related to national security ousted Prime Minister, in his interview to daily ‘Dawn’ published on 12th May has stated, “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?” He was referring to the Mumbai attacks-related trial proceedings which have stalled in the Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court. “It’s absolutely unacceptable. This is exactly what we are struggling for. President Putin has said it. President Xi has said it,” Sharif had said. Soon after the publication of Sharif’s interview, the Indian media blew up his remarks, terming it an admission on part of the former prime minister that non-state actors from Pakistan were involved in the Mumbai attacks in which terrorists had killed more than 150 people and injured over 300 others in about a dozen shooting and bombing attacks in different localities.
There was also a hue and cry in Pakistan over the Nawaz Sharif’s remarks which backed India’s stance over the issue. Ironically, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, who is also the chief minister of Punjab, issued a statement, saying that the news report had “incorrectly attributed certain remarks to PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, which do not represent PML-N’s party policy”. But the elder brother, Nawaz dispelled the notion that the comments were falsely attributed to him, saying that he will speak the truth come what may. The contradictory statements by the Sharif brothers showed stark difference of opinion within the ruling party over the issue. In this backdrop, National Security Committee meet on 14th May and termed former prime minister’s statement on Mumbai attacks “incorrect and misleading” and reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to play a due role in fighting the war against terrorism at all fronts. Chaired by PM Abbasi, the meeting also unanimously rejected the allegations and condemned the fallacious assertions stemmed out of Nawaz Sharif’s interview.
Moreover, the NSC clarified that it was India, and not Pakistan, that was delaying the finalisation of the Mumbai attacks trial. Besides many other refusals during the investigation, the denial of access to the principal accused, Ajmal Kasab, and his extraordinarily hurried execution became the core impediment in the finalization of the trial, the committee maintained. The trial has been continuing in an antiterrorism court in Rawalpindi since 2009. The Foreign Office, it should be recalled, has all along maintained that India’s non-cooperative attitude with regards to the trial has complicated the case and weakened the prosecution. But, importantly, Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar had during Mr Sharif’s tenure (in September 2016) written to his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Chaudhary to express India`s readiness to share the material evidence, which Pakistan had been seeking for quite some time for taking forward the Mumbai trial. The committee reminded India that justice in the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing, in which 42 innocent Pakistanis lost their lives while travelling back to their country, was still awaited. Masterminds of the deadly attack Col Purohit and Swami Aseemanand had been set free despite confessions. Similarly, the NSC said, Indian cooperation was also needed in spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case. The National Security Committee resolved that Pakistan shall continue to play its due role in fighting the war against terrorism at all fronts.
While the establishment remained patient and observed historic restraint on Nawaz Sharif’s campaign against Army/ISI and Judiciary, it appears that things were taken for granted and Mr Sharif has now reached a stage where national interests can be sacrificed for the last ditch effort to show to the world, save me, I am the last wall standing between terror sponsoring establishment and the will of free world and democratic forces in Pakistan. However, the disclosures of Nawaz Sharif will have far-reaching consequences like it has now given India a tremendous leverage on Mumbai attack which Indian RAW was not able to do so in last decade. Second with Financial Action Task Force sword hanging on Pakistan’s neck, it would be almost impossible to erect any defence against the grey list, Pakistan may actually find itself landing in the black list. PMLN will wrap up in June and leaving the hapless interim government to face the wrath of international community. Third, Nawaz Sharif’s confessions and sharing it through a dubious media group has crossed the Rubicon of national secrets disclosures. Fourth, mention that Russia and China also have similar views is to tell Pakistani audience that military establishment is totally isolated and even friends like Russia and China are fed up with it. Fifth, the interview comes at a time when dogs of sub-nationalism, foreign intelligence agencies, western media and NGOs are conducting a very sophisticated an sustained assault on the state of Pakistan, Manzoor Pasheen is equated with Che Guevara and may be the next candidate for Nobel Peace Prize. Sixth, the youth and academia is being used, especially by liberal and leftist opinion makers and faculty members in connivance with Social Media Team of PML-N, a venomous campaign against Army, Judiciary and ISI has already been launched.
It has clearly proved even at international level that Indian secret agencies; particularly RAW arranged coordinated terror attacks in Mumbai and orchestrated that drama only to defame Pakistan in the world, but also to fulfill a number of other sinister aims. Nevertheless, all these terror attacks were planned by Indian security agencies to distort image of Pakistan and its primary intelligence agency, ISI, linking it with the banned group Lashkar-e-Taiba. In these terms, coordinated terror assaults of November 26, 2008 in Mumbai were part of the same Indian scheme. Unfortunately, Nawaz Sharif has also joined the chorus of enemies of Pakistan.
