Pak’s latest flip-flop, says it never demanded Kasab’s extradition

ISLAMABAD - In yet another flip-flop, Pakistan has denied asking India to handover the lone November 2008 Mumbai attacker Ajmal Amir Kasab to it.

Talking to reporters after a special anti-terror court in Mumbai awarded death sentence to Kasab, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said Islamabad had never asked for his extradition.

When asked about Kasab’s death penalty, Basit said Pakistan maintains that it was important to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to justice.

“Pakistan has strongly condemned the horrific attack. It’s important that the culprits are brought to justice,” The Daily Times quoted Basit, as saying.

“We would appreciate that our legal experts go through the detailed judgement,” he added.

It is worth mentioning here that days ago Pakistan had handed over six dossiers to India regarding developments made in the 26/11 probe and sought the extradition of Kasab, and Fahim Ansari, an Indian accused of conducting recce of places targeted by terrorists.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik had also said India should give Pakistan access to Kasab to facilitate the trial of seven terrorists arrested in the country in connection with the Mumbai attacks.

“Kasab’s statement is of paramount importance in the Mumbai attack case… it is an important document for the court and we need it,” Malik had said earlier.

During a meeting with Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal last month, Malik had stressed that Kasab should be extradited to Pakistan after his trial in India is over, as his statement would prove to be of great importance in the prosecution of the seven suspects, including Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. (ANI)