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Pak National Security Advisor Gen. Durrani admits Kasab Pakistani, sacked

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  • Pak National Security Advisor Gen. Durrani admits Kasab Pakistani, sacked

    New Delhi: Heads have begun to roll in Pakistan as soon as certain quarters have begun to publicly accept a blatantly obvious fact that the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks were of Pakistani origin.


    Pakistan's National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani who had confirmed that Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested in the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks, is a Pakistani national, in his interview to CNN-IBN on Wednesday has been sacked by his country's Prime Minister.


    Mubashir Zaidi, Dawn News Correspondent spoke to CNN-IBN on the issue.


    "Well, the reason given is that he issued a statement regarding Kasab's nationality without consulting the Prime Minister and the relevant quarters. That is the allegation that is being levelled. But certainly, that is the reason that he spoke to you (CNN-IBN) perhaps and to the press and leaked this information about Ajmal Kasab," said Zaidi.


    Durrani had only stated the obvious but is paying the price in a closeted society where speaking the mind can be punishable if it embarrasses the authorities.


    "Well, yes they are now confirming, the Foreign Office has told journalists that they are now confirming that Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistani national. But what's happened was that the Dawn News reported earlier that Pakistan had done some preliminary investigations in which it has been established that Kasab is a Pakistani national, a resident of Faridkot and a son of Amir Kasab and his wife Noor Elahi. That is more or less what was there in the confessional statement of Kasab that was handed over to the Pakistani High Commission. So that account the Pakistani investigating agencies have corroborated to the fact that has been mentioned in the letter of Ajmal Kasab," Zaidi added.


    Why was the Pakistani National Security Adviser fired if the official revelations match with Kasab's confessional statement/letter that Kasab is a Pakistani from Faridkot, anyway?


    "Well, primarily, because has spoken to CNN-IBN and he has confirmed that Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistani. But before that when the foreign office denied our (Dawn News's) story, the foreign office was no where in the picture. Our report said that an investigation report has been submitted to the Interior Ministry and to the Prime Minister's Secretariat by the Law enforcement agencies who have established that Kasab is a Pakistani. In that scenario, the Foreign Office was nowhere and they were caught by surprise. People approached them and they initially denied the reports saying that they cannot tell anything about the investigations as they continue, but then they started verifying where this leak has come from or where ever the story has come from. They were told by the Interior Ministry that yes, such a report existed and that it has received a report and the Prime Minister's Office as well."


    Is this acceptance of Kasab's nationality not a turnaround for Pakistan?


    "They have been saying that they are investigating and the confusion actually arose because there was no record of Ajmal Kasab in the national database which is maintained by the national database authority which is NADRA. So that created confusion but there were stories appearing in The Dawn and some other newspapers that parents of Kasab had recognised the photograph of Ajmal Kasab published in the newspapers. But then the internal and foreign media thronged Faridkot, the residence village of Ajmal Kasab. The residents of the village reacted and there were Law enforcement agency officials who stopped media from probing and covering the matter. That is also the time that they started investigating the matter on their own. The report has still not been made public although the admission has come. But after we (Dawn News) broke the story, the report was quietly submitted to the Interior Ministry with a copy to the Prime MInister, saying that in the initial investigations it has been established that Kasab is a Pakistani national," Zaidi added.


    Pakistan's Information Minister Sherry Rehman had also earlier admitted Kasab could be Pakistani, then why is Durrani being singled out for punishment?


    "Well, that is exactly what we are asking the government that the Information Minister had confirmed the same thing earlier, the Foreign Office (Mohammad Sadiq) acceptance came later. But we are told that to control the damage on the breach, they want to make the scapegoat of some one or the other. We are told that the goof up had taken place and the decision was to be taken by the Prime Minister and he was not aware that the Interior Ministry's report is lying on his table," said Zaidi.
    Link - http://ibnlive.in.com/news/spoke-too...d/82195-2.html
    When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? - George Canning sigpic

  • #2
    We all knew that anyway.

    Comment


    • #3
      From a Pakistani daily -

      Thursday, January 08, 2009
      Mehmud Durrani accused of keeping PM in the dark on Kasab issue; confirmation of Mumbai gunman’s Pak nationality leads to fiasco

      By Mariana Baabar

      ISLAMABAD: The government has finally admitted that Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of the November attacks in Mumbai, is a Pakistani national.

      The Foreign Office spokesman, who is currently in Kabul said, “According to our preliminary investigations, Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistani national. Our investigations are continuing.”

      Coming on the heels of this admission, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sacked his National Security Adviser Major General (retd) Mehmud Ali Durrani for giving a statement on Ajmal Kasab without taking him into confidence.

      Before the formal announcement, Prime Minister Gilani told Geo News on telephone that Durrani had given a statement to an Indian news channel regarding Ajmal Kasab without taking him into confidence.

      The prime minister said that Durrani’s statement had tarnished the country’s image. “So I decided to sack him,” he told Geo News.

      Earlier, the Foreign Office was reluctant to confirm the report with even Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir denying Kasab’s nationality in an interview to an Indian TV channel. His ministry was only willing to do so after other senior officials and ministers from other ministries came out in the open and confirmed Kasab’s nationality when asked by the foreign news agencies.

      Confusion reigned supreme in Pakistan on Wednesday evening with several official voices speaking at the same time, but ensuring that they were not on the same page regarding the nationality of Ajmal Kasab. These officials proved to the world that they were strangers to ‘coordination’, and nobody knew who was in charge.

      As far as Kasab’s nationality is concerned it was the Ministry of Information that had the final word in interaction with AP and Reuters where Information Minister Sherry Rehman confirmed that Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani national. Later, state-run television carried the version of the minister. In the end the Foreign Office was left with no choice but to agree.

      What has emerged very clearly is that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was very much out of the loop on Wednesday and decisions and announcements were made elsewhere with a clueless and embarrassed Foreign Office shaking its head in disbelief.

      “I really do not know what is happening and this is certainly a very sad state of affairs. I myself am confused. We are trying to get through to the spokesman who is in Kabul,” one frustrated official at the Foreign Office told The News.

      Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wanted to have the final say when the National Security Adviser, Maj Gen (retd) Mehmood Durrani, was quoted as saying that Ajmal Kasab was very much a Pakistani citizen while the Foreign Office rebutted this and sent out a one liner from Kabul saying, “investigations to determine the nationality of Ajamal Kasab are still in progress, it is still premature to say anything in this regard — and the information given to us by India is being ‘seriously’ examined.”

      The Foreign Office spokesman, who is ambassador-designate to Afghanistan, is still in Kabul and in his absence the national security adviser, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and Information Minister Sherry Rehman talked to the foreign media, including India. This is something Durrani and Bashir are reluctant to do where the Pakistani media is concerned. Durrani was quoted by the Indian media as saying that the identity of Kasab had been established and he was a Pakistani while Bashir was at pains to tell the Indian media that investigations were still continuing.

      This led to a media circus where reports were being updated every hour, something not seen before in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whose statements are taken as the Gospel truth.

      Earlier, a few weeks ago, the spokesman had stated that they were still examining the letter written to them allegedly by Kasab and they would soon issue a statement regarding the decision that the government would take.

      The spokesman had issued a statement early in the afternoon and referred to different reports that had appeared, and said that the information received from India is being ‘seriously’ examined.

      Pakistan remains fully determined in its investigations to uncover full facts pertaining to the Mumbai incident and is cognizant of the need for establishing legally tenable evidence.”:))

      “Pakistan regrets the propaganda campaign unleashed by India to malign the country. Blame game and political point scoring is counterproductive and unacceptable.

      “Terrorism is a pernicious problem afflicting South Asia. Pragmatic and responsible approach, including cooperation between the relevant investigation departments, is the imperative need of the hour to deal with the Mumbai terrorist attacks and to prevent any such incident in India, Pakistan or elsewhere.”

      The morning papers had quoted ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha as saying, “We may be crazy in Pakistan but not completely out of our minds”. The different ministries in Pakistan should rephrase this to say, “We are all crazy in Pakistan and completely out of our minds.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would certainly agree.
      Link - http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=19476
      Last edited by Knaur Amarsh; 08 Jan 09,, 03:52.
      When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? - George Canning sigpic

      Comment


      • #4
        Durani was painted as an American asset by Pakistani media. His recent statements seemed to resonate with what International community wanted to hear from Pakistan. Now he is gone...if had not been ex-army, he could have been dead. ;)

        Question is whether civilian leadership and the Army were unanimous about firing him or is there a turf battle thats getting ugly.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Greg View Post
          Durani was painted as an American asset by Pakistani media. His recent statements seemed to resonate with what International community wanted to hear from Pakistan.
          Ah well, Pakistani media, no comments on that :)

          Now he is gone...if had not been ex-army, he could have been dead. ;)
          This bit is untrue ;) He isn't the only one who gave such a statement, he's just the fall guy, maybe its because Gilani wanted to strengthen his own faltering public opinion and this is a show of strength towards Zardari.

          Question is whether civilian leadership and the Army were unanimous about firing him or is there a turf battle thats getting ugly
          I reckon they should'ev been, neither the civilian leadership liked him much, him being seen as pro-America, nor Gen. Aslam "Don't fight the ISI" Beg or Gen. Pasha, who would'ev seen him as a threat to his own fragile power base .. as for Gen. Kiyani and the PA, whaddya think? :))
          When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? - George Canning sigpic

          Comment


          • #6
            Pakistan sacks security adviser

            Pakistan sacks security adviser


            Pakistan has sacked its national security adviser as tensions continue between Islamabad and India over November's attacks in Mumbai.

            Mehmood Ali Durrani was officially accused of showing "irresponsible behaviour" and a "lack of coordination" on security matters.

            A BBC correspondent says the main accusation appears to be that he failed to share information with politicians.

            Islamabad has confirmed the only gunman to survive Mumbai is a Pakistani.

            More than 170 people died when 10 gunmen attacked Mumbai on 26 November.

            The BBC's Charles Haviland in Islamabad notes that Mr Durrani, a retired general, was sacked just hours after the official confirmation that gunman Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani citizen.

            Confirmation

            An official statement from the prime minister's office spoke in general terms but blamed Mr Durrani's "irresponsible behaviour for not taking the prime minister and other stakeholders into confidence, and a lack of coordination on matters of national security".

            Information Minister Sherry Rehman told the BBC that Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani citizen.

            For weeks, Islamabad had refused to confirm his identity, saying his name was not listed in the national database of citizens.

            It is the first time Pakistan has acknowledged any links to the gunmen.

            The gunman was detained on the first night of the attacks and faces charges in India of murder, attempted murder, waging war against a country and criminal conspiracy.

            India says all 10 gunmen were from the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

            India has provided Pakistan with a dossier of evidence which, it says, links the Mumbai attackers to elements in Pakistan.

            On Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that because of the "sophistication and military precision of the attack it must have had the support of some official agencies in Pakistan".

            Pakistan rejected Mr Singh's allegations and accused India of raising regional tension.
            sigpic

            Comment


            • #7
              He had to be sacked as anyone who was admitting kasab being pakistani was being suppressed until now.When Geo tv of Pak showed proof of his being Pakistani weeks ago they were prosecuted.Now Pak is admitting only due to enormous international pressure mainly by U.S.A. and will let free high ranking military officials who were involved.

              Comment


              • #8
                A interesting report!
                This Durrani chap in his defence has said he had informed PA & the President of the decision to delare Kasab as a Pakistani Citizen.

                Initially the tussle in Pakistan was b/w PA & Civilian. Now it is PM,President & PA!

                The Indian establishment considers the sacking of Pakistan's national security adviser Mehmud Ali Durrani for "irresponsible behaviour" by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani [Images] as a major development in Pakistani politics.
                On Wednesday evening Durrani said the terrorist Ajmal Kasab [Images], captured after the Mumbai [Images] terrorist strikes of November 2008, was a Pakistani, and within hours he was unceremoniously sacked.

                According to an assessment by a New Delhi-based Pakistan expert in India's intelligence establishment, Durrani paid the price for his image of being pro-America and "softer" towards India. He was officially coordinating on security issues among the Pakistani army, civilian government and America.

                Durrani told some journalists in Islamabad [Images] that the Pakistani army and President Asif Ali Zardari [Images] were aware of his stance over Kasab, but it's believed that Gilani could not have acted on his own on such a serious issue.

                It is being noted that Durrani was sacked when President Zardari was on a visit to Kabul.

                Wednesday saw confusion reign for a few hours over the conflicting statements of Pakistani officials on the issue of Kasab's nationality. At the end of it the foreign office spokesman, Muhammad Sadiq, told journalists that Kasab was a Pakistani citizen, and it had been established by investigating agencies which had given their report to the foreign ministry.

                But, the acceptance came a bit too late.

                A few hours prior to Sadiq's statement, Pakistan's state minister for interior, Tasnim Ahmed Qureshi, told the media that 'he could say with authority that Kasab was not a Pakistani citizen and the Mumbai attack was a drama staged by the Indians themselves.'

                And foreign secretary Salman Bashir added to the confusion when he showed reluctance to accept Kasab as a Pakistani.

                He told CNN-IBN television channel that as the investigation was continuing, he could not confirm that Kasab was a Pakistani.

                The sacking of a top officer in the security establishment is seen in New Delhi [Images] as an impending showdown between PM Gilani and President Zardari. An Indian intelligence officer told rediff.com, "It's very well possible that when Zardari was out of the country Gilani took a hawkish stand to please the army chief General Ashfaq Kiyani. Right now, a hard stand against anyone perceived to be softer on India or America makes good politics in Islamabad."

                The Indian establishment's assessment is that steadily, the Pakistani army is putting its act together to once again control the power structure while taking care to remain behind the curtains.

                The crisis has also fuelled hectic political activity within the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party.

                Hussain Haqquani, Pakistan's ambassador to the US, and Abdullah Hussain Haroon, its representative to the United Nations, are arriving in Islamabad for consultations with their party leaders.
                Last edited by n21; 08 Jan 09,, 13:05.

                Comment


                • #9
                  More than 170 people died when 10 gunmen attacked Mumbai on 26 November.
                  Whole world knew that they were Terrorists of Pakistani origin..
                  Have you noted that BBC never called them Terrorist.....they always called them gunmen ..

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Its a BBC policy to refrain from judging the perpetrators as terrorists. I am not defending this policy but just pointing out that they are consistent about it - no matter where the events occur. Even the London bombers were simply called "bombers" - never terrorists.

                    Even if the BBC office is targeted, they will call them bombers not terrorists in their reports. The opinion pieces are a different matter, I suppose.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Pakistanis are being real stupid about this. Everyone and their grandma is convinced that these terrorists came from Karachi, by sea and were trained extensively in Pakistan. They are much better off admitting to at least that and making a case that GOP was not involved. This circus just betrays the fact that Pakistanis have a great capacity to start believeing their own propaganda and then torture the world with a false bravado (usually about nukes). Even North Korea doesnt go this far.

                      There is not a better gift in the world for countries than having good neighbors. On of the greatest strengths of US is having Canada and Mexico as neighbors. India got screwed on this one.
                      Last edited by Greg; 08 Jan 09,, 22:42.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Guys,
                        Please be aware that the Indo-Pakistani conflict is off-limits here.


                        http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/showthread.php?t=48679
                        “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

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