ZAHEER ABBASI

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), which was convened to discuss the situation arising out of the recent remarks of PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif about the 2008 Mumbai attacks, unanimously rejected the allegations and condemned the fallacious assertions, describing that statement as “incorrect and misleading.”

The NSC meeting presided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and attended by chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, three services chiefs, heads of intelligence agencies, ministers and national security advisor examined Nawaz Sharif’s remarks in the context of the Mumbai attacks, as it appeared in a national English daily on May 12, 2018, and unanimously termed this statement incorrect and misleading.

Soon after the meeting, the Prime Minister reportedly rushed for a meeting with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and appeared to have been leaning towards the party during the hurriedly convened press conference and tried to defend Sharif’s statement.

A statement issued after the meeting stated that the meeting reviewed the recent statement in the context of Mumbai attacks, as it appeared in the Daily Dawn of May 12, 2018, and unanimously termed this statement incorrect and misleading.

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. The participants unanimously rejected the allegations and condemned the fallacious assertions.

The meeting recalled that it was not Pakistan but India that has delayed the finalization of the case. Besides many other refusals during the investigation, the denial of access to the principal accused, Ajmal Qasab, and his extraordinarily hurried execution became the core impediment in the finalization of the trial.

At the same time, Pakistan continues to wait for cooperation from India on the infamous Kulbhushan Jadhav and Samjhota Express episodes. The National Security Committee resolved that Pakistan will continue to play its due role in fighting the war against terrorism at all fronts.

Those who attended the meeting were Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Director General ISI Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, National Security Adviser Lt-Gen Nasser Khan Janjua (retd) and other senior civil and military officials.

Minister for Defence & Foreign Affairs Khurram Dastgir Khan and Minister for Finance, Revenue & Economic Affairs Miftah Ismail were also present at the meeting.