Nawaz’s narrative more dangerous than his statement: Shah Mehmood

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Friday that the narrative of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is more dangerous than his recent statement.

Talking to media in Islamabad, Shah Mehmood said that he fears that Pakistan might face sanctions from the United States on the basis of Nawaz’s controversial remarks on the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

He said that Pakistan Muslim League-N’s former president Nawaz Sharif’s political narrative is unsuccessful within and outside the party.

Shah Mehmood said that there does not yet exist a consensus over the name of caretaker prime minister and no consultation has been done with his party.

The PTI leader further said that if the government has a fair intention then it should work on the constitutional amendment for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Shah said that the PTI has always favoured the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and it wants elections including local body polls to be held in the area.

The former premier's statements in an interview generated much criticism and backlash for him.

Nawaz, in an interview to Dawn newspaper published on May 12, had said, “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?”

His remarks were wrongfully played up by the Indian media as an admission of Pakistan's involvement in the terrorist attacks and also led to criticism from opposition political parties in Pakistan and the local media.