In a concerted bid to stall any questioning of Ajmal Kasab by Pakistan’s Judicial Commission on Mumbai terror attack, that is visiting India from February 3 to 6, security and intelligence agencies have expressed serious reservations over the issue to the government. Kasab was the only Pakistani terrorist to have been caught alive by security forces during the Mumbai terror strike.

Highly-placed intelligence sources said they were surprised to see statements made by Pakistan’s interior minister Rehman Malik in a section of the media that Pakistan’s Judicial Commission will seek permission to question Kasab. Incidentally, Mr Malik had chaired a meeting on Monday where it was decided that in addition to Kasab’s questioning the Judicial Commission will seek all medical and forensic records, including DNA samples of the killed terrorists, record statements of doctors who conducted the post-mortem and also talk to additional chief metropolitan magistrate R.V. Sawant Waghule and investigating officer of the case Ramesh Mahale both of whom had recorded Kasab’s confessional statement in November, 2008.
While strongly opposing Kasab’s questioning by the Pak team, the intelligence agencies have conveyed to the government that if given access the Pakistani terrorist was sure to retract his confessional statement, as he has done once in court also, saying it had been obtained under duress and he has been falsely implicated in the case.
Pakistan, intelligence agencies have assessed, was certain to use this in its anti-India propaganda at the global forum which will eventually weaken India’s case that Pakistani soil was being used to sponsor terrorism across the border.
Incidentally, the Pak delegation is being led by Khalid Qureshi, who heads the FIA’s special investigations group and is considered to be an “extremely shrewd investigator.’’ The team will also include the two main prosecutors, Muhammed Azhar Chaudhry and Chaudhry Zulfiqar..
Sources said various agencies are of the view that at a time when Pakistan is still not serious about investigations into the probe Indian should not go out of the way to concede all their demands.
“For instance when it comes to the contentious issue of giving voice samples of key accused like Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Abu Hamza, Abu Jhundal and Abu Kafa Pakistan is still shielding behind legal provisions arguing that according to Pakistan Penal Code only thumb impression is legally admissible as evidence to establish a person’s identity and not the voice samples,’’a senior government official said.