New Delhi: Pakistan had refused to seek
consular access to the lone surviving terrorist of 26/11,
Ajmal Kasab, despite acknowledging him to be its citizen,
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had told FBI Director Robert
Mueller.
According to a leaked cable sent from US Embassy,
available on Wikileaks, Chidambaram told Mueller in one of the
meetings last year that there was intelligence that Pakistani
entities have taken out a contract to "harm" Kasab following
which a full security audit has been ordered in Mumbai to
ensure his protection.
The minister readily agreed to Mueller`s request that
the FBI might seek access to Kasab again and may need a
videotaped deposition if he is indicted in the US, the cable
marked "secret" said.
He offered to share with the FBI Kasab`s video-taped
judicial confession which had recently been provided.
The home minister noted that Kasab had requested
consular access but the Pakistani Embassy had refused that
even though the government of Pakistan had acknowledged that
Kasab is a Pakistani citizen.
On National Investigation Agency, Chidambaram observed
that he had a new weapon in hand to combat terrorism and also
conceded that he was coming "perilously close to crossing
constitutional limits" in empowering the NIA.
Mueller agreed that the US Constitution empowers the
FBI when crimes "cross state borders" but noted the FBI faces
similar jurisdictional problems from local, state and federal
agencies.
PTI
