Kasab case: Pak demands Indian magistrate

Islamabad, July 18: Pakistan has once again demanded that the Indian magistrate who recorded the statements of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the convicted 26/11 Mumbai attack gunman, should appear before the anti-terror court hearing the terror attacks case.

Talking to reporters here, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said India must allow the official to present Kasab's confessional statement before the Pakistani court for further action.

"Sans Indian magistrate's statement, it is almost impossible to take further correspondence into case" The News quoted Malik, as saying.

Last week, during his meeting with Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal, Malik had put forth the demand of sending the officials to Pakistan.

Malik had said that Pakistani authorities have 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," Malik had said.

Responding to a question regarding the continuous terror strikes in Lahore, Malik said that security forces have been asked to beef up security in the city and all across the Punjab province following intelligence reports that extremists are on the look out for triggering more attacks.

"Terrorists want to destabilize Punjab government by targeting Lahore time and again," he said.

ANI