Durrani sacked for stealing Gilani's thunder over admission of Kasab's Pak nationality

Islamabad, Jan.8 (ANI): Highly informed sources in the Pakistan Government have said that the sacking of the National Security Advisor Major General (retd) Mehmud Durrani was more related to the fact that Durrani denied PM Gilani of taking the credit for breaking the news about Ajmal Kasab's nationality, the Dawn reported.

"Durrani was apparently sacked for leaking the news, since it not only caught the Prime Minister off guard, but perhaps also deprived him of taking the credit for breaking the news," the website quoted a highly placed source in the Pakistan Government, as saying.

"The probe had concluded that Ajmal Kasab was in fact a Pakistani national, but it was left to the Prime Minister, to decide whether or when it should be made public," it added.

Earlier, right after news about Pakistan's acceptance of the fact that the lone surviving Mumbai gunner belonged to its soil was flashed in the media, Pakistan Prime Minister Yusu Raza Gilani dismissed his National Security Advisor Major General (retd) Mehmud Durrani for being too candid on the tricky issue of Mumbai carnage suspect Ajmal Kasab, 'without taking him into confidence'.

"Security Advisor had 'embarrassed me and the country by going public with the report of Ajmal Kasab's nationality without my permission. I have dismissed him with immediate effect," Gilani told media yesterday.

The sacking of a senior official proves that there is wide rift inside the Pakistan government, and it shows that there is a complete disconnect between the members of Pakistan ministry. (ANI)