Pakistan formally seeks extradition of Kasab

It asked India to hand over Kasab to facilitate the trial of LeT’s operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks,in a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court.

The Pakistani response was handed over by Foreign Office officials to Indian Deputy High Commissioner Rahul Kulshreshth this morning.

Officials at the Indian High Commission confirmed the handing over of certain information by the Foreign Office but declined to provide details.

Other sources said Pakistan had formally asked India to serve arrest warrants issued by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court for Kasab and Fahim Ansari,an Indian national facing trial along with Kasab in a special court in Mumbai on charges of involvement in the attacks.

The sources said Pakistan wanted access to Kasab and Ansari so that they could appear before the Pakistani anti-terrorism court,which was a legal requirement.

Observers said Pakistan’s actions appeared to be aimed at ensuring a meeting between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the April 28-29 SAARC summit in Bhutan.

Both sides have indicated that a bilateral meeting has not yet been scheduled but kept the possibility of such an encounter open.

The Pakistani side also made a request for three Indian officials,including two magistrates and an investigator,to be allowed to travel to Pakistan to testify that they had recorded Kasab’s statement.

Dawn News channel quoted unnamed sources as saying that the Foreign Office had provided six dossiers to Indian Deputy High Commissioner Kulshreshth.

The channel also reported that the dossiers contained Pakistan’s responses to queries raised by India in its dossiers.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik yesterday raised the issue of the arrest and handing over of Kasab during a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal.