Pakistan reacts to India's execution of Mumbai attacker

Islamabad, NOV. 21 (dpa/GNA) - Pakistan's government on Wednesday downplayed India's execution of the lone surviving Pakistani gunman in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist siege that killed more than 166 people.   State-run PTV broadcaster quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying that an Indian embassy official in Islamabad had informed the authorities about the hanging of Ajmal Kasab, 24.   Muazzam Ahmad Khan said Pakistan condemns all forms of terrorism.   "We will cooperate with the international community in the fight against terrorism," he said.   Kasab was from Faridkot village in the eastern province of Punjab. A local police official said there was no reaction.   "All the family members of Kasab left right after they were identified as being his family," officer Muhammad Ali said by phone from Depalpur city.   Beena Sarwar, a prominent commentator and human rights activist, said Kasab was "a pawn.”   "Many will be happy at the hanging of the murderer Kasab. Hope his victims' families got closure. I can only feel sorry."   “Those responsible, who orchestrated the Mumbai episode, trained and poisoned young minds to carry out the carnage, remain free,” she said on her Twitter account.   In Pakistan, the trial for seven Lashkar-e-Taiba militants accused of orchestrating the attacks, is ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for December 1.   India accuses Pakistan of not doing enough to bring justice, while Pakistan says India is trying to politicize the incident.   A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban insurgents hailed Kasab as a "martyr."   "May Allah bless Ajmal Kasab's martyrdom. Whatever he did, he did the right thing. We are in grief over the loss but happy that he got the martyrdom," Mohammad Afridi said.   Afridi also praised India for following its laws.   "Another thing is that in that country, at least, we saw the course of law. But in Pakistan, our people are arrested and without prosecution are either killed or their whereabouts are not known,” Afridi told dpa.   India said the attackers had arrived by sea from Pakistan, and were trained by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group based in that country.   Officially, LeT does not operate in Pakistan. But the founder of the LeT leads another group, Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD), which says it devotes itself to humanitarian assistance.   India considers JuD to be the front of LeT. Both the groups are banned by Pakistani government.   The JuD has refrained from making any comments regarding LeT's involvement in the Mumbai attack. Its officials were not available Wednesday for comment regarding Kasab's execution. GNA      ... Read Full Story