India on Monday (Dec 22) summoned Pakistan’s Acting High Commissioner Afrasiab and handed over the letter written by Mumbai attack accused Ajmal Amir Iman Kasab, which states that he is a “Pakistani”. Kasav, the lone surviving terrorist involved in the Mumbai terror attacks on November 26. In his letter addressed to the Pakistan High Commission, Kasab has stated that he and the other terrorists killed in the attack were from Pakistan.
In the letter, Ajmal has asked the Pakistan High Commission to take custody of the body of fellow terrorist Ismail Khan, who was killed in an encounter in south Mumbai the same night. He has also sought a meeting with the Pakistan High Commission.
This is the first time India is officially handing over proof of Kasav’s nationality to Pakistan and with Pakistan consistently denying that the arrested terrorist is not from Pakistan, this incontrovertible proof sumbmitted by India is likely to put Pakistan in the dock.
Kasab, who hails from Faridkot village in Pakistan’s Punjab province, was captured on November 26 soon after the group of 10 heavily-armed terrorists launched attacks in Mumbai. The terrorist, who is in police custody till Wednesday, wrote the letter last week and it was forwarded by the Mumbai police to MEA for handing it over to the Pakistan High Commission.
Islamabad has been denying that Kasab is a Pakistani national even though his father has confirmed it. Pakistani media also went to his village and confirmed his nationality through a sting operation, after which authorities ordered a clampdown to keep journalists away.
Kasab, during his interrogation, has told Mumbai police in detail as to how he became a hardcore terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba from an ordinary criminal. He has given details to police as to how he underwent training at LeT camps along with several others and later was sent by his handlers by ship from Karachi on November 26.
Earlier in the day, slamming Pakistan for not keeping its promise of ending cross-border terrorism, external affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said India is “not closing any options”.
Mukherjee said the Mumbai strikes and the attack on Kabul embassy show that terrorism emanating from Pakistan is “acquiring an increasingly dangerous dimension and continues to threaten peace and stability in this region and beyond.”
Addressing a conference of Indian ambassadors and High Commissioners here, he said India has sought the support of the international community to put pressure on Pakistan to “deal effectively” with terrorism.
India has highlighted that the infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan has to be dismantled permanently, he told the first-of-its-kind conclave being held in the backdrop of a fresh chill in relations between New Delhi and Islamabad.
“We are not saying this because we are affected but because we believe that it will be good for the entire world and also for Pakistani people and society,” he underlined.
Describing the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan as the “greatest terrorist danger to peace and security of the entire civilised world,” Mukherjee said “there has been some effort so far by the international community but this is not enough.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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