The reaction to the death sentence on Ajmal Kasab delivered by a Mumbai court on Friday has been muted in Pakistan. Many said it was an internal matter of India.
“It is what we had expected all along. Given the evidence against Kasab, one would have been surprised with any other decision,” commented analyst Imtiaz Gul.
Another analyst, Hasan Askari, said that Pakistan would be more interested in taking the trial further with Kasab and Indian officials coming to Pakistan to testify in cases against LeT men here.
The Pakistan government also reacted cautiously. Foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said that Pakistan strongly condemned the Mumbai blasts and it was “important that all the culprits be brought to justice.”
At the same time, Basit said that Pakistan has the right to provide legal aid to its nationals abroad.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN’s Karan Thapar refused to say whether Pakistan will ask for leniency for Kasab.
He spoke to Thapar before the death sentence was delivered Qureshi also did not say whether Pakistan will still insist on the extradition of Kasab to proceed in the trial of the 26/11 accused in Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}He spoke to Thapar before the death sentence was delivered Qureshi also did not say whether Pakistan will still insist on the extradition of Kasab to proceed in the trial of the 26/11 accused in Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}“We have to begin with respect for each other’s judicial processes,” said Qureshi. “Kasab has been found guilty on a number of charges. We will await the detailed judgment and once the judgment is announced, we will give our considered reaction,” he said.