14 April,2009 04:30 PM IST | | PTI
Pakistan on Tuesday said the statement made to a magistrate by Ajmal Amir Qasab, the lone terrorist captured for the Mumbai terror attacks, is crucial for the successful prosecution of suspects detained by it in connection with the incident.
"The statement of Ajmal Qasab is absolutely important for successful prosecution (of suspects arrested by Pakistan)," Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik told reporters in the southwestern city of Quetta.
India and Pakistan must stop 'blame games' and New Delhi should provide the additional information on the Mumbai attacks that has been sought by Islamabad, he added.
Pakistan yesterday formally asked India to provide additional information and clarifications to enable its authorities to 'proceed further' in their probe into the terrorist assault that killed over 180 people.
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Malik said the information which Pakistan had sought from India included Qasab's statement to a magistrate, details of mobile SIM cards used by the terrorists and slain anti-terror police officer Hemant Karkare's statement on his probe into the bombing of the Samjhauta Express.
Malik contended that Karkare's statement was needed as Pakistan had information that a terrorist involved in the attack on the Samjhauta Express was also involved in the Mumbai incident. He did not give details.
Malik also claimed that the DNA sample of Qasab provided by Indian authorities was 'identical' to the DNA sample of Ismail, another terrorist who was killed in Mumbai.
Noting that there was a one-in-a-trillion chance of such samples being identical, he took a dig at Indian authorities by saying they should ascertain whether Qasab and Ismail were twins.
"It is not possible to bring the perpetrators to justice unless both countries cooperate," said Malik, who travelled to Quetta this afternoon to review the law and order situation in Balochistan province, which has witnessed violent protests in the wake of killing of three nationalist leaders last week.
Pakistan is continuing its probe into the Mumbai incident and one more person had been arrested, he said.
