Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: By hanging 26/11 perpetrator Ajmal Kasab, India has made its resolve to fight terror with an iron fist amply clear. However, it is yet to be seen whether Pakistan government will extend its cooperation to India in eliminating terrorism in all its form and manifestations.
While confirming the execution of Kasab, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that the government of India through the Ministry of External Affairs has informed the government of Pakistan.
“They did not accept letter, so we have sent a fax message,” Shinde said.
Kasab belonged to Pakistan; he was the lone surviving member of the group of 10 terrorists who had sneaked into Mumbai on November 26, 2008 and carried out terror strikes that lead to the death of 166 people.
On whether his body would be handed over to Pakistan, Shinde said, “If they demand then will hand over his body but they have not yet demanded.”
While Pakistan has accepted Kasab as its national but it will, in all probability, will not take back Kasab’s body.
Interestingly, Pakistan’s public response was on expected lines that ‘Kasab was a terrorist, hence deserves to be hanged’.
However, Kasab’s execution is sure to cause discomfort to the Pakistani government as India will now go all out to corner it on the issue of cross border terrorism.
The relations between the two countries have been in a state of near freeze for the past four years over Islamabad’s reluctance to act strongly against the masterminds like Jamaat-ud-Dawaah Hafiz Saeed.
A trial is currently going on in Pakistan but little credible action has come forth.
The other big question is on the fate of Indians on death row in Pakistan. The government of India will have to tread carefully on the issue.
