Nawaz Sharif's 26/11 remark: Pak Press Council issues notice to Dawn, circulation hit

Pakistan's Press Council has sent a notice to Dawn newspaper over Nawaz Sharif's interview in which the ousted PM had said "non-state actors" belonging to Pakistan were responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

"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?" Sharif had asked during the interview to Dawn.

Sources have told WION, circulation of Dawn newspaper has been stopped in military-controlled cantonment areas after the interview. Hawkers have reportedly been "instructed" not to deliver the Dawn newspaper in military-controlled residential areas.

The development comes after Pakistan's Geo TV was cut off in several areas apparently due to pressure from the military. In February, Pakistan's popular TV channel was cut off from at least 80 per cent areas in the country.

After the interview was published, the Pakistan Army had "suggested" PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to convene a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) to discuss the issue which was held on Monday.

"Despite our 50,000 sacrifices [of lives], why is the world not paying heed to our narrative? And the person who is asking this question has been labelled a traitor," Nawaz had said during the interview which created a huge stir in Pakistan as well as inside the PML(N).