By Muhammad Najeeb, IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistani team probing the Mumbai attacks is likely to demand access to Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone survivor of the 26/11 terror strikes, to question him on his suspected links with Pakistan-based militant outfits, a senior official privy to the investigations said.
The official said the three-member team has looked into the “material” provided by Indian authorities, Kasab’s confessional statement, his letter to the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi, TV footage and his photographs sent by India and available with some news channels.
The investigating committee has asked the authorities here that they would like to interrogate Kasab as “he is the only person who can give exact information if he had any links with any of the militant organisations in Pakistan”.
On the other hand, Interior Affairs Advisor Rehman Malik said if India insisted on extradition of suspects of the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan can ask for handing over of Lt. Col. Srikant Prasad Purohit who is alleged to have links with the Samjhauta Express blasts in February 2006.
“Yes, we can demand extradition of Purohit,” Malik said in an interview with the GEO television Saturday. He said there were suspicions how a senior police officer Hemant Karkare was killed during the Mumbai attacks.
Malik said that initially the Samjhauta Express attack was blamed on Pakistan but Karkare was the person who investigated and found out the real story. “Who knows why he was targeted… such acts create suspicions in our mind,” he said.
Malik said Pakistan was conducting investigations into the Mumbai attacks without any pressure or fear and will share the findings with friendly countries and India.
He said the leads found in Pakistani investigation indicate involvement of foreigners. “So far, the leads shared with me by the investigators go out of the country.”
Malik said a committee was also analysing the information India had shared with Pakistan to transform it into verifiable evidence for legal action. “We are not registering a criminal case right now. Let the preliminary report come and if prima facie something substantial comes, we would convert it into a criminal case.”