PTI
Islamabad, Dec 31: Pakistan's National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani on Tuesday may not be ruling out Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive during the Mumbai terror attacks, being a Pakistani national.
"Could be. I am not saying more than that because we don't have... I hate to say this we don't have proof," Durrani told CNN-IBN when asked if some of the Mumbai attackers including Kasab could be from Pakistan.
Durrani's remarks came in the backdrop of Pakistan's constant denial that there was any Pakistani link to the Mumbai attacks.
Durrani however said that till now there is no evidence of involvement of Pakistani nationals in the November 26 carnage and that India should let the investigations into the attacks finish first.
Durrani said that Pakistani government was looking at the letter written by Kasab in which he requested consular access, and also wanted to meet the Pakistani High Commissioner in India. Kasab has also asked for for legal aid from Pakistan in the same letter.
He said Pakistan was looking at the letter from Kasab and trying to formulate its response.
He also stressed that Pakistan was also a victim of terror just like India.
Seeking friendly ties with India, Durrani said both countries need to remove the "mistrust" and "put behind" the Mumbai attacks to jointly fight terrorism.
"We want a nice friendly relationship with India so that we can both live in peace. This is not only good for the two countries, but good for the whole region," Durrani said.
"We are not making any demands, we are only suggesting that let's put this behind us and jointly fight this menace," he said.
Duranni blamed the media for creating an "unnecessary hype" about tensions in Indo-Pak ties.
"The media is creating, with due respect to you, an unnecessary hype. Two hundred people have died in Bombay, which is very sad, which is tragic and we condemn it totally.
"We are ready to crack down on everybody who is a terrorist. I think Pakistan is already doing a lot. We will do more and it is in the interest of Pakistan. We will follow international norms and conduct," he said.
Durrani also maintained that Pakistani forces "hardly escalated".
"We have to remove the mistrust. That is the whole bottomline," the Pakistani official said.