Nawaz Sharif also criticised the delay in the conclusion of the Mumbai attack trial

New Delhi: After what appeared to be his admission that Pakistani terrorists carried out the 2008 Mumbai attacks, known as 26/11, Pakistan's ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has claimed that the media "grossly misinterpreted" his remarks.

Following his interview with the Dawn newspaper in which he acknowledged that "militant organisations are active in Pakistan" and "such terror strikes (26/11) could have been prevented", not only has he become the target of fury in his own country, a high-level "national security" meeting has also been called by the Pakistani military to discuss his "misleading statements".

A spokesperson for Mr Sharif accused the Indian media of misinterpreting his remarks and said in a statement, "Unfortunately, a section of Pakistani electronic and social media has intentionally or unintentionally not only validated but has lent credence to the malicious propaganda of Indian media without going through the full facts of the statement."

"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?" Mr Sharif had said on Friday, according to the Karachi-based newspaper.

But the PML-N insists the wealth was acquired legally, through family businesses in Pakistan and the Gulf.