Pak investigating team may demand access to Kasab

Islamabad, Jan 19 (ANI): The Pakistani team probing the Mumbai terror attacks is likely to demand access to lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab to question him on his suspected links with Pakistan-based banned militant outfits, a senior official privy to the investigations, has said.

The official said the three-member team has looked into the material provided by the Indian authorities, Kasab's confessional statement, his letter to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, TV footage and his photographs sent by India and available with some news channels, The News reported.

The investigating committee has told the authorities here that they would like to interrogate Kasab as he is the only person who can give exact information if he had any links with any of the militant organisations in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Interior Affairs Adviser Rehman Malik said if India insisted on extradition of suspects of the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan can ask for handing over of Lt-Colonel Srikant Prasad Purohit, who is alleged to have links with the Samjhauta Express blasts in February 2006.

"Yes, we can demand extradition of Purohit," Malik said in an interview with a private TV channel.

He said there were suspicions how a senior police officer Hemant Karkare was killed during the Mumbai attacks.

Malik said initially the Samjhauta Express attack was blamed on Pakistan, but Karkare was the person who investigated and found out the real story.

"Who knows why he was targeted... such acts create suspicions in our mind," Malik added. (ANI)