ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb has rejected allegations of a former spokesperson of the Foreign Office, Tasneem Aslam, that during his tenure as prime minister Nawaz Sharif had barred the FO from commenting against India and its spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Talking to Dawn, she said Mr Sharif had always worked for interests of Pakistan and raised his voice for the people of Kashmir.

She said Mr Sharif had taken a very sincere initiative for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute when he in 1998 invited the then former Indian prime minister to Pakistan. It was that diplomatic initiative that led to the Lahore Accord that contained in it the roadmap for the resolution of the Kashmir issue, she added.

“Again, it was Mian Sahab who refused to accede to the entreaties of world powers while rejecting their economic offers and insisting on carrying out six nuclear tests not only to restore strategic parity with India, but to demonstrate the invincibility of Pakistan’s non conventional assets,” she said.

“Finally, it was Mian Sahab who was critical of the proposal made by a Pakistan’s military dictator to India to abandon the UN Security Council Resolutions that sanctify the righteousness of Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir,” the PML-N leader said.

“In the face of these established and well known facts, no credence need be attached to the frivolous and baseless comments of the retired official of the Foreign Office. The facts speak for themselves,” she added.

She said Mr Sharif had been in national politics for over three decades and during this period he had dozens of occasions to deal with Indian leaders. “Facts and reality are a matter of record,” she added.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2020