Click to play videoNew Delhi: Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sacked the country's National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani on Wednesday for giving a statement regarding Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist arrested for the Mumbai attacks, without taking him into confidence.
Gilani said Durrani's statement in which he had said that Kasab could be a Pakistani national had tarnished the country's image.
However, Durrani repeated that Kasab has Pakistani links in an exclusive interview to CNN's Reza Sayah.
CNN: Is the Pakistani government not convinced that the attackers had links to Pakistan?
Mahmud Ali Durrani: No! It probably would be true now. For example Kasab has Pakistani connections. So one cannot deny that there is zero link with Pakistan. How much and who all are involved that we will have to investigate.
We had independently launched an investigation and of course the lead provided to us through our common friends. We used that and it has been very helpful. The ultimate objective is to catch these guys and lock them up for ever. Isn't that the objective? No, that has to be done in a methodical fashion as is done in any criminal case.
CNN: Would you say in these past five-six weeks there has been more accusation or more cooperation?
Mahmud Ali Durrani: Unfortunately more accusation rather that cooperation. I wish it was the other way round. One of the main things that I would like is that Pakistan and India should not see each other as enemies anymore. That is the starting point. Once we start doing that and realise that our destinies are interlinked and we have to work together for the good of our two nations, as well as the good of the region and whole world.
Durrani made the admission on CNN-IBN first on December 30 when asked if some of the Mumbai attackers including Kasab could from Pakistan.
He replied, "Could be. I am not saying more than that because we don't have... I hate to say this we don't have proof."
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