Sharif rejects Pak NSC criticism of remarks on 26/11 terror attacks

The National Security Committee (NSC) which met on Monday had condemned the "fallacious" statement by Sharif about the Mumbai terror attack and termed it as "incorrect and misleading". In an interview last week, Sharif had questioned Pakistan's policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai as he publicly acknowledged that militant groups are active in the country. His comments triggered a controversy, prompting the National Security Committee (NSC) - Pakistan's top civil-military body - to call a high-level meeting.

Presided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the meeting was attended by top Cabinet ministers, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Hayat, the three services chiefs, the director generals of the Inter-Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence.

After the NSC meeting, Prime Minister Abbasi met Sharif and conveyed to him the concerns of the military leadership over his remarks regarding the Mumbai attacks, Pakistani media had reported on Monday.

Talking to reporters at the Accountability Court hearing corruption cases against him and his family, Nawaz, 68, said the NSC statement is "wrong, painful and frightening."

He reiterated his demand for the formation of a national commission to decide who committed treason and said that it would allow all facts to become clear. "A decision should be made about who is a patriot and who is a traitor," he added.

"We should find out who laid the foundation of terrorism in the country," he asserted.

"Pakistan is not becoming isolated, it is already isolated. Tell me which country stands with us, is there any?" he asked.

Later, speaking to the media while leaving the courtroom, Nawaz said the time has come to decide who is a patriot and who is a traitor. He was responding to being termed a traitor by political opponents.

He said further that he is not just a Pakistani citizen as the people elected him prime minister and he knows a lot of things. Several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle had fired a broadside at Nawaz for statement about the Mumbai attack, with some going as far as demanding that the PML-N supremo be tried for high treason; that his name be placed on the Exit Control List, and a thorough investigation be undertaken to determine the reasons behind the statement made by three-time prime minister.