Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday admitted Pakistan's role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, popularly known as 26/11 Mumbai blast, which claimed over 150 lives in the financial capital of India.
The PML-N leader was speaking to the Pakistani daily 'Dawn' and said, "Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can’t we complete trial?"
The ousted PM was questioned why Pakistan has not yet completed the trial in the 26/11 case.
"Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's statement is very important for Indian govt. This proves that when Sharif was Pakistan PM, he was aware of the 26/11 attack, but still didn't try to end its trial," ANI quoted Indian public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam soon after Sharif's statement surfaced on the internet.
"This also proves that the Pakistan government is a puppet at the hand of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistan Army. That is why, when Sharif was Prime Minister of the country, he never admitted the attack because he was afraid of ISI and Pakistan Army," he added.
Last year in July, Sharif was removed from the prime minister's post after found guilty in the Panama Papers case.
Nawaz Sharif in an interview to Pak's Dawn says, 'Militant orgs are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross border & kill 150 people in Mumbai? Why can’t we complete trial?' in reference to '08 Mumbai attacks-related trials stalled in a Rawalpindi court pic.twitter.com/4Ym0g3zcrm
— ANI (@ANI) May 12, 2018
Its been a long time now that India has been accusing Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. 10 heavily-armed terrorists launched a coordinated shooting and bombing leaving 166 people dead and others injured in Mumbai.
Pakistan has not even completed the trial in the 26/11 case and allowed the mastermind, Hafiz Saeed, to roam free.