No point disowning Kasab, but who will tell Pakistan

New Delhi: It has taken an anguished father's acceptance that the captured 20-year-old terrorist is indeed his son. Amir Kasab, father of Ajmal Kasab father has told influential and widely read Pakistan daily The Dawn that the only surviving terrorist from the audacious attack on Mumbai is his son.

Ideally, that could break the back of Islamabad's denial that there's a direct Pakistan link to the Mumbai terror attack.

"Yes, he is my son," Amir Kasab, the father of captured terrorist Ajmal Kasab told newsmen.

The father confirmed this to the daily in his village of Faridkot district of Pakistan, that the picture repeatedly shown on television screens across the world was that of one of his five children.

The daily, in its report published on Friday said that the father, Amir Kasab, told reporters that he was in denial ever since he saw Ajmal's pictures in the news but has now accepted the reality.

"I was in denial all these days, but now I have to accept that he is my son," said the pained father.

Ajmal had left home four years ago in anger after he was not given new clothes for Eid, by his father who could ill afford them.

The boy just went away and the father who supported his family by selling pakoras could not muster enough money and clout to search for him.

When asked of his son's links with terrorists, Amir Kasab said he had no idea who snatched his son from him.

"I don't know who took my son but they are my enemy," is all he said of the people who either lured away the boy or held him with or without his consent.

Amir was confronted by the reporters with the inputs that the terrorists who carried out the Mumbai massacre had been promised a lakh and a half rupees for their family after they were gone.

At this Amir got upset and said that he had neither received any money, nor had he sold his son to the terrorists for money so that he goes and kills people.

The daily also confirmed several other details that other two other British news organisations, The Observer and the BBC had put forth over the last week.

The BBC was able to locate a house inhabited by the Kasabs in Faridkot but at the time, locals denied any links to the captured terrorist.

This time around, though India has insisted that Pakistan based elements had carried out the Mumbai attack.

Pakistan continued to deny this and asked for proof.

Now the proof comes from within Pakistan and that too from father of the captured terrorist, that he is undeniably Pakistani.

It also further strengthens the link that India is trying its hardest to prove and Pakistan trying every stroke in the book to refute.