Adviser sacked over Mumbai comments

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Pakistani National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani was fired Wednesday after indicating the lone surviving Mumbai terrorist may have been a Pakistani.

A statement issued by the country's prime minister said Durrani was sacked "for his irresponsible behavior (of) not taking prime minister and other stakeholders into confidence and lack of coordination on matters of national security," the Press Trust of India reported.

Ironically, other Pakistani officials earlier Wednesday anonymously confirmed that Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only surviving terrorist from November's Mumbai attacks, is a Pakistani, the Los Angeles Times reported. Later, Information Minister Sherry Rehman said, "We are confirming Kasab is Pakistani, but investigations are ongoing."

Pakistan has been under U.S. pressure to move against militants based in the country suspected of having planned and helped to carry out the attacks on India's financial and entertainment hub and left roughly 170 people dead.

Durrani told CNN Wednesday evidence Pakistan received from India showed the attackers had ties to his country.

"So one cannot deny there was zero link with Pakistan," Durrani said. "How much, who all was involved, that we have to investigate."

Included in the information packet delivered to Pakistan were statements by Kasab, phone records and information on seized weapons.

India said Islamic militants trained in Pakistan were behind the siege on India's financial and entertainment hub, reporting that Kasab told investigators he was trained by Lashkar-e-Toiba, an Islamic militant group.