Malik 'mishandled' Ajmal case, must resign immediately: Burney

Observing that the "mishandling" of the issue of Ajmal's nationality by the government had brought bad name to Pakistan, leading human rights activist Ansar Burney has demanded the immediate resignation of Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik.
    
While from the very first day it was clear that the lone gunman captured for the Mumbai attacks, hailed from Pakistan, the non-acceptance of his nationality by Interior Ministry has created doubts regarding the direct involvement of Pakistan in the incident, Pakistan's former federal minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney said in a statement here on Wednesday night.
    
He said the team of Ansar Burney Trust that recently visited Ajmal's village confirmed that he is a Pakistani national and now his parents are missing from the village.
    
The activist said the matter was totally mishandled by the adviser to the prime minister for Interior, for unknown motives that would now create much more problems for Pakistan.
    
After being in constant denial mode, Pakistan on Wednesday admitted that 'Ajmal' was the country's national, vindicating India's stand.
    
"I do not know why he (Malik) didn't resign immediately after the attack on Marriott Hotel in Islamabad," Burney said demanding that he should step down without further delay.
    
A suicide bomber targetted Islamabad's Mariott Hotel on Sept 20 last year, killing at least 60 people.
    
Burney alleged that the statements that came out so far from the Adviser on Interior were most of the time false and fabricated.
    
"Even his recent statement on GEO TV on the cause of the death of Mahtarma Benazir Bhutto, was very much suspicious and full of doubts," he said.

Burney, an expert adviser and member in the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee at Geneva said the denial by Pakistan government, particularly after the interview of Ajmal's father appeared in the Dawn newspaper and Geo TV created doubts internationally against the country's government and about its' involvement in the heinous crime.
    
He said the involvement of any Pakistani in any crime or terrorism in the country or abroad does not mean that the entire nation at large is involved. However, the role of Interior Ministry will give a bad name to the entire nation.
    
He said the dirty role of the government proves that some of the Pakistani officials or parties working under their
patronage are definitely involved in such the heinous crime in Mumbai.
    
"Mishandling of the case by the Ministry of Interior doesn't mean that Pakistan or the entire nation is corrupt or terrorist," he said.  "Such elements are everywhere even in India - those involved in heinous crime against humanity."
    
Burney urged the Indian Government to allow him to meet Ajmal to bring out the truth "as his arrest is also suspicious in so many manners."