The Hindu : Front Page : Mumbai terror suspect’s Pakistan link “confirmed”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 08, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Mumbai terror suspect’s Pakistan link “confirmed”

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: Contradicting Pakistani denials that its nationals were involved in the Mumbai terror attacks, The Observer reported on Sunday that it had established that Ajmal Amir ‘Kasab,’ the lone surviving suspect, came from a village called Faridkot in the Okara district of Pakistan. The story indicated that the terrorist’s correct name is Mohammed Ajmal Amir, son of Mohammed Amir Iman.

The British newspaper said its investigation had confirmed that Ajmal had lived in the village but had been away for about four years, returning once a year to meet his family. In what it described as a “crucial a piece of evidence” about Ajmal’s native origins, it said names of his father, Mohammed Amir, and mother, Noor, appeared on the village’s electoral list along with their identity card numbers 3530121767339 and 3530157035058 respectively.

“That seems to be the last piece of the jigsaw. A man called Amir and his wife, Noor, do live in Faridkot, official records show. They have a son called Ajmal,” it concluded.

Villagers reportedly told The Observer’s correspondent, Saeed Shah, that Ajmal’s parents had lived in Faridkot for “some 20 years” but were “mysteriously spirited away” a few days ago. At their address, a man who identified himself as Sultan said he was father-in-law of Mohammed Amir. A local farmer, Noor Ahmed, said he knew Ajmal’s father.

“Amir had a stall he pushed around. He was a meek man, he wasn’t particularly religious. He just made ends meet and didn’t quarrel with anyone,” he said.

Local residents are apparently under pressure not to talk to outsiders but one villager, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, revealed that “we’ve all known from the first day [of the news of the terrorist attack] that it was him, Ajmal Amir ‘Kasab’.”

“His mother started crying when she saw his picture on the television,” he said.

According to him, Ajmal used to go to Lahore for work as a labourer and had been away for four years.

“When he came back once a year, he would say things like, ‘We’re going to free Kashmir’,” the informant added.

Faridkot and another adjoining village, Tara Singh, he said,were a “recruitment hotbed” for the Laskhar-e-Taiba, which is accused of being behind the Mumbai attacks.

Mumbai terror: Comprehensive coverage

Images: Mumbai Aftermath

Images: End of Mumbai siege

Mumbai terror attacks in pictures

Mumbai terror attacks in pictures - 2

Mumbai terror attacks in pictures - 3

Ratan Tata's press meet - Podcast

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page