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Extend consular access to Ajmal: rights panel

ISLAMABAD: The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has urged the Government of Pakistan to extend consular access to Ajmal Amir ‘Kasab’, the surviving gunman in the Mumbai attacks, and arrange legal assistance for him.

Pakistan acknowledged Ajmal as one of its nationals on Wednesday but said as he had committed a “heinous crime,” it would not give him either consular or legal help.

Welcoming Pakistan’s acceptance of the “unpleasant reality” of Ajmal’s nationality, the HRCP, headed by eminent lawyer Asma Jahangir, said denial could have eroded the credibility of the government and soured relations between the two countries, possibly to the extent of a war.

“At the same time, the HRCP urges the Government of Pakistan to extend consular access to Ajmal and to arrange proper legal defence to him. It is the right of every individual to have consular access and to have proper legal assistance, regardless of the accusation against the detained person,” the rights organisation said in a statement on Friday.

It said it would contact human rights organisations in India to ensure that Ajmal had legal defence and the assurance of a fair and transparent trial.

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