Pakistan acknowledges Kasab’s hanging

The establishment in Pakistan on Wednesday acknowledged the official communication sent to it by New Delhi about 26/11 attack convict Ajmal Amir Kasab’s execution at Pune’s high-profile Yervada jail.

Zeenews Bureau

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India`s assertion that it refused to accept a letter on the decision to hang Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, saying it had "received that note and acknowledged its receipt." Reacting to the execution of Kasab in a jail in Maharashtra early this morning, Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan said Islamabad had adopted the clear and consistent position of condemning terrorism in all its forms. "We condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestation," Khan said in a statement. "We are willing to cooperate and work closely with all countries of the region to eliminate the scourge of terrorism." On India`s assertion that it had informed in advance Pakistan about the decision to hang Kasab but Islamabad refused to acknowledge the letter, Khan said, "these reports are incorrect and baseless." The Indian Deputy High Commissioner visited the Foreign Office last evening with the note regarding Kasab`s execution and the Director General for South Asia in the Foreign Ministry "received that note and acknowledged its receipt," he said. Kasab was the only survivor of a group of 10 terrorists trained and backed by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba that targeted the Indian financial hub four years ago. A total of 166 people, including several foreigners, were killed over a period of three days by the attackers, who were controlled by handlers based in Karachi. Pakistani authorities have arrested seven persons, including LeT operational commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, and charged them with planning, financing and executing the attacks. However, their trial by a Rawalpindi-based anti-terrorism court has virtually stalled for over a year due to various technical reasons. Islamabad has rejected Delhi`s calls for action against LeT founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the mastermind of the attacks, claiming India has not provided any evidence to facilitate his prosecution. With PTI Inputs