Kasab writes to Pakistan envoy

Seeking to call Islamabad's bluff, India on Monday handed over to Pakistan a letter written by the lone surviving terrorist involved in the Mumbai strikes, wherein he confirms the nationality of himself and the nine slain attackers as Pakistani.

The letter, written by Ajmal Mohd Amir Kasab, was handed over to Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner Afrasiab, when he was summoned by Joint Secretary (Pakistan) in the External Affairs Ministry T C A Raghavan in New Delhi.

"In his letter, addressed to the Pakistan High Commission, Kasab has stated that he and the nine other terrorists, killed in the attack, were from Pakistan," the External Affairs Ministry said. Kasab has sought a meeting with the Pakistan High Commission officials to seek legal aid to him.

In the letter, Ajmal has asked the Pakistan High Commission to take custody of the body of fellow terrorist Ismail Khan, who was killed in an encounter in south Mumbai the same night. Kasab, who hails from Faridkot village in Pakistan's Punjab province, was captured on November 26, soon after the group of 10 heavily-armed terrorists launched attacks in Mumbai.

The terrorist, who is in police custody till Wednesday, wrote the letter last week and it was forwarded by the Mumbai police to MEA for handing it over to the Pakistan High Commission.