Burney asks Pak govt to clarify on Kasab's nationality

Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Dec 31 (PTI) Stating that "confusion" over Ajmal Amir Iman's nationality was bringing a "bad name" to Pakistan, leading rights activist Ansar Burney has asked the government to clarify whether or not the lone gunman captured for the Mumbai attacks is a citizen of the country. In a letter written to Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah, Burney said the silence of Pakistani authorities on the issue of Iman's nationality is creating doubts and uncertainty given that the media has already released "sufficient material and evidences" identifying him as a national.
He said that the "confusion (over Iman's nationality) is bringing a bad name to the country and nation at large and has also become a source of disunity between the two atomic powers". "The Pakistani media has already released sufficient material and evidences identifying (Iman) as a Pakistani national and this silence from the ministry of interior on the subject.
Is creating and spreading doubts and also inviting uncertainty in the region, which in no way is a good.
approach," the letter said.
Indian authorities have said Iman alias Ajmal Kasab belongs to Faridkot village in Okara district of Punjab province. Iman's father has also told the Dawn newspaper that the gunman whose pictures were flashed around the world by the media was his son.
He said the "understanding between the two countries has already been damaged, and the situation demands improvement otherwise the same would ultimately become a source of disaster for the region".