Never called Singh a village woman, says Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD/QUETTA: In an attempt to end a controversy over his purported remarks about his Indian counterpart, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that he never called Manmohan Singh a “village woman”.

Sharif also denied charges that Pakistan was sponsoring terrorism in India, saying his country was itself a victim of the menace.

Just a day before the two PMS met on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sunday, a Pakistani TV talk show host claimed Sharif had described Singh as a “dehati aurat” (village woman) during an informal chat over breakfast with journalists. The talk show host withdrew his remarks after an Indian journalist, who too was present at the interaction, said Sharif had made no such remarks.

Sharif told the media in London that he never called Singh a “village woman”, Pakistani dailies reported today. He said he was satisfied with the outcome of his meeting with Singh. He said external forces were involved in terrorism inside Pakistan and “far from being a sponsor, Pakistan was actually a victim of a foreignfunded well organised wave of terrorism”.

SUMMONS TO EX-PREZ Meanwhile, an Ant-terrorist Court on Tuesday ordered former Pakistan president General Pervez Musharraf to appear before the court in Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case.

Justice Anwar Kasi of Special Anti-terrorist Court-1 Quetta heard the case. Former Federal Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao and former provincial minister Shoaib Nosherwani also appeared before the court. Meanwhile, Crime Branch presented a report before the court regarding the non-appearance of the nominated accused in the case.