U-turn: Sharif now wants evidence on Mumbai attacks

In a U-turn, former Premier Nawaz Sharif, who last week indicated that the lone captured Mumbai attacker Ajmal Amir Iman was a Pakistani, has said India should provide evidence for Islamabad to take action or else, should avoid creating tensions through "fake allegations". 

"Pakistan, as a state and as a government, is not at all involved in the incident. If India provides evidence to Pakistan, the country will look into them and take action," Sharif, the leader of the opposition PML-N, said.

"If we get the evidence, I will personally go to President Zardari and ask him to take stern action against such people," Sharif said at a ceremony held ahead of Christmas at the Chief Minister's Secretariat in Lahore yesterday.

A noted human rights activist Asma Jehangir had earlier said that the militants involved in Mumbai attacks were from Pakistan.

Click to see video: Terror accused from Pak - Asma Jehangir

Sharif's latest remarks follow his statement on Friday last when he indicated that Ajmal was from Pakistan, embarrassing the government here. 

"It has been said this individual named Ajmal Kasab hails from Faridkot village (in Pakistan's Punjab province). I have seen and I personally got this checked — the village and its surrounding areas were cordoned off. His parents are not being allowed to meet anyone," Sharif had told Geo News.