Pak asks India to send officials who recorded Kasab’s statements to testify

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has asked India to send the police officials and the magistrate who had recorded the statements of lone surviving 26/11 gunman Ajmal Amir Kasab to testify his records.

According to reports, Interior Minister Rehman Malik met Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal here and put forth the demand of sending the officials to Pakistan.

Interacting with media persons after the meeting, Malik said Pakistani authorities had registered an FIR against Kasab on the basis of his reported statement given in Indian court, and under the country’s law he was required to be presented before the court.

“As the Indian government had already turned down a request by Islamabad to send Kasab to Pakistan, therefore, it has again been requested to send the magistrate concerned and the police officials who had recorded the statement,” The Dawn quoted Malik, as saying.

He said that that the anti-terror court hearing the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack case would declare Kasab a ‘proclaimed offender’ if Indian officials did not appear before it.

Malik added that he has received a letter from his Indian counterpart P. Chidambaram reiterating the resolve to tackle the menace of terrorism together.

“Progress is under way on agreed points between the two countries regarding maintaining regional peace and stability and joint steps against terrorism,” he said. (ANI)