Pak Prez sacks Special Public Prosecutor in Mumbai attack case

Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Feb 27 (PTI) Pakistan President Asif Ali
Zardari Friday fired the Special Public Prosecutor in the
Mumbai attacks case, more than a week after the senior lawyer
sparked a controversy claiming that Islamabad had formally
requested India to hand over Ajmal Amir Kasab.
Apart from his sacking as the Special Public Prosecutor,
Sardar Mohammad Ghazi was removed from the post of Deputy
Attorney General by Zardari, according to an official
notification quoted by Dawn News channel.
Ghazi went to London on a private visit shortly after his
controversial remarks on February 18 that Pakistan had
formally requested India to hand over Kasab, the lone
terrorist captured alive during the Mumbai attacks.
He had said that Kasab was the "prime suspect" and it
would be difficult to prosecute the other accused arrested in
Pakistan if he was not handed over by India.
His comments were denied hours later by the Foreign
Office, which said no formal request had been made to India
for Kasab's custody.
Ghazi made the comments shortly after he was named the
Special Public Prosecutor in the case related to the Mumbai
attacks. Earlier, reports had suggested that he would be
replaced due to the controversy over his remarks.
No new official was appointed to the post of Special
Public Prosecutor. Zardari also appointed seven new Deputy
Attorney Generals and four standing government counsel.
Pakistani authorities have detained six suspects -
including top Lashker-e-Taiba operatives Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi,
Zarar Shah and Hamad Amin Sadiq - in connection with the
Mumbai attacks. They have also identified two more suspects
who are still at large. PTI RHL
PMR