| Font Size |
Karachi
Dawn reporters were able to locate last week a family in Faridkot village in Punjab, who claimed to be the kin of Ajmal Amir Kasab, arrested in connection with the attacks in Mumbai last month. A man who said he was Amir Kasab confirmed to Dawn that the young man whose face had been beamed over the media was his son.The fifty-something man of medium build agonized over the reality that he said had taken time sinking in and, amid sobs, complained about the hand fate had dealt him and his family.
“I was in denial for the first couple of days, saying to myself it could not have been my son,” Amir Kasab told Dawn in the courtyard of his house in Faridkot, a village of about 2,500 people just a few kilometres from Deepalpur on the way to Kasur. “Now I have accepted it. This is the truth. I have seen the picture in the newspaper. This is my son Ajmal.”
Variously addressed as Azam, Iman, Kamal and Kasab, the young man, apparently in his 20s, is in custody at an undisclosed place in Mumbai. Indian media reports “based on intelligence sources” have described him as a former Faridkot resident who left home a frustrated teenager about four years ago, and went to Lahore. After a brush with crime and criminals in Lahore, he is said to have run into and joined a religious group during a visit to Rawalpindi. Along with others, the Indian media has claimed, he was trained in fighting.
Amir Kasab, a father of three sons and two daughters, said Ajmal disappeared from home four years ago.
“He had asked me for new clothes on Eid that I couldn’t provide him. He got angry and left.”
While Amir was talking, Ajmal’s two ‘sisters and a younger brother’ were lurking about. To Amir’s right, on a charpoy, sat their mother, wrapped in a chador and in a world of her own. Her trance was broken as the small picture of Ajmal lying in a Mumbai hospital was shown around. They appeared to have identified their son. The mother shrank back in her chador but the father said he had no problem talking.
Amir Kasab said he had come to Faridkot from nearby HaveliLakha many years ago. He owned the house and made a living selling pakoras. He pointed to a hand-cart in the courtyard. “This is all I have. I shifted back to the village after doing the same job in Lahore. My eldest son, Afzal, is also back after a stint in Lahore. He is out working in the fields.”
Faridkot is far from the urban idea of a ‘remote’ village. It is located off a busy road and has all the characteristics of a lower-middle class locality. It has two middle-level schools, one for girls and the other for boys which Ajmal attended. Faridkot does not qualify as Punjab’s backwaters, which makes the young Ajmal’s graduation to an international ‘fearmonger’ difficult to understand. It can do with cleaner streets and better sewage but the brick houses next to the Kasur-Deepalpur road have a more organised look to them than most Pakistani villages.
A report in the Observer on December 7 quoted unnamed locals as saying the area was a hunting ground for recruiters of the LeT. The approach to Faridkot points to at least some employment opportunities. There are factories and rice mills, interspersed with fertile land.
Amir Kasab repeats how little he could do since the day his son walked out on him. He calls the people who snatched Ajmal from him his enemies but has no clue who these enemies are. Asked why he didn’t look for his son, he counters: “What could I do with the few resources that I had?”
The mild-mannered father is a bit agitated at the mention of a link between his son’s actions and money. Indian media have claimed that Ajmal’s handlers promised him his family would be compensated with Rs 1,50,000 after the completion of the Mumbai mission. “I don’t sell my sons,” he says.
Journalists who visited Faridkot since Dawn reporters were at the village have said the family has now moved from their home. Nobody in the village is willing to say where the family has gone.
(Courtesy: Dawn)
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|
This is the high time to declare war against Pakistan. Kill all the terrorists and destroy their camps, masterminds and their mentors in a single shot. Wipe out Pakistan from the World Map.
Dear Zardari SahibPlease tell Govt Of India as to what proof will be acceptable to you so that that would make you to accept of ISI active involvement in Mumbai attack. You name the evidence you want and would accept and the Govt Of India will provide you that proof.So now Mr President, the ball is in your court.This menace of ISI has taken the life of your beloved wife and would one day swallow you as well as Bilwal if you do not play to their (ISI's) tune.It is high time for you to get rid of this cancerous limb of your country named ISI and atleast rest of the country will be saved.Pause for a moment and ponder as to how your neighbour has a flourishing economy and is recognised as one of the growing economic super power and your country is on the verge of being a failed state.You will go down in history as the saviour of your country if you act and cut this limb off before it consumes you and your country.
I say we, need to prosecute the family of Kasab and all other terrorists who were involved in the attacks. That would send a strong message to all of them that their immediate family is going to suffer for thier wrong doings. This was the same princple followed in Russia. The Russian govt went after the family ang this ultimately brought in check the terrorist activities.
dear sir, i think any terrorist wouldn't kill his parents and relatives.they are doing only their action others.ajmal,notorious terrorist is not deserving any kinds of humanitarian consideration.i think terrorism emrging from illiteration and everybody should know the value of life.thank you
Ok we've been shown the realties that made Ajmal choose to be a terrorist. Before we start feeling sorry for him and family, I think he should be made to meet all the survivors of CST carnage, and the families of all the cops he killed. Let him see the people he has wounded, the women he has widowed, the children he has rendered orphans. Show him pictures of the dead. Then ask him - Are new clothes on Eid worth all this? The people at CST on average were people like him, not the elite and rich of the country.Show him the poor of Mumbai who live with what they have and do not resort to violence and murder in the name of religion to acheive their goal. Ajmal made his choices with a clear head, poverty is no excuse.
For a very long Pakistan is a godown of multi national terrorists.Of course it is a doubtless fact that all muslims across the world may not be terrorists,but all terrorists across the world are muslims. The golden words of BJP leaders onceagain proved.Pakistan is a total shame of this globe.Pakistan is now a treasure house of muslim terrorists.India is paying now for the foolish politicians except BJP who dearingly opposed POTA.All political parties in India must realise the need of POTA.By a wrong thinking of opposing POTA for harvesting muslim votes will definitely yield zero votes from Hindu Community.Those countries which supports terrorist country like Pakistan will pay huge cost of innocent people.No doubt in it. The developed countries should invade Pakistan wipeout terrorist tents.If such thing happens in due course Pakistan will be deserted after such invations because all pakistanis are terrorists and no man is having the least humanity there.
u r ryt....but wat is the guarantee that if BJP is not wearing a sheep's clothing? well i dnt think we can trust the Americans, Pakistanis and the Indian ministers in totality...i doubt Britishers too !...whr theres terrorism all these 4 countries are invoolved sumhow!
In the modern civilised world ,more than anyhing what a family need is the bond of being together , be it the family is in a deprived condition or an afflent family. Growing together, playing together, eating together and sharing the time togeher make a world of diffence in the family. If for any reasons, the younger ones are lfet to live on thier own way, they are bound to get attracted to all the evils of the wold. The net reslt will be bunch of youth being left alone as prey to anti social elements allowing the former to use the youth in whatever the way they want them to act. So let all as family members give more time to our children and plan to mould their moral standard to the highest level. As far the society at lagre is concerned ,it better that we give sometime to the street children among us so that they will not fall as victims to anti social elements.
What more "proof" or "evidence" do Zardari and Gilani want of Pakistan's involvement in the Mumbai attacks?
Now what have all the people got to say who were blaming BJP and the hindus for the mumbai carnage and all those pakistanis who wanted proof here is solid proof from a pakistani newspaper, open your eyes to reality u people and get real.
Now, the Pak PM may say, whole of Kasab's family in Faridkot is "non-state actors" though their names figure in Voters' List. It is almost certain that Pakistan government is in collusion with the terrorists. Somehow, they never anticipated that a terrorist willl be caught alive. It is a shame that all these years they have been asking for proof to act on terrorists. Probably, they may not act decisively even now.
yes, i agree Vikram this is a hoax story....frankly speaking did any one ask the indian government why the 3 big police officers became the target, and due to this incident a prompt resignations from high indian dignataries came....my indian bros this is all geographical politics....i m pakistani and lets face it...the fact is i despite of urbanite and a bit fanatic but do not appreciate such sort of attacks and i as a part of Pakistani nation strongly condemn it...we are not this.....i m family guy and i understand the pain very well....do any of you guys out here know it that how many Pakistani people died in the last 6 month due to suicide bombings....even we lost one of our great leader Late Benazir Bhutto in this event....just standing against the terriosm...why suicide bombing takes place...when the terroists doesnt get any loop hole in the security they do the sucide attempt..but incase of indian attacks, the security simply depict the big vaccum and loopholes...
Sure, there are many individuals
Its sad that poor people lose their sons and daughters to these Terror groups what is the government doing taking all the money and keeping it for them selves PAKISTAN THIS IA A SHAME FOR YOU ALL
this is not shame for pakistan,it is shame for india who donot know the wickedness of their politicians and officials.u should wake up and evaluate the truth.
Its' about time Pakistan needs to open their eyes, think sincerely and choose path accordingly. Do they want to turn blind eyes to the terrorist groups just because they are harmimng India? or they want to progress and prosper and walk iwth the global cummunity with head high? It has been years this policy had been adopted by almost all Pakistani Governments and look where they are today? They are surviving on loans and gifts from other countries, they have no respect in the world (meaning hardly anybody wants to travel there) their sports has started affecting and close to the isolation (e.g. cricket). One of their minister just admitted that they have to take actions against l.e.t. etc to save themselves declared 'terrorist country, isolation and senctions' You still have time to come clean by taking honest and sincere steps by rooting them out such terrorists getting safe heaven in your country. Think of future of your next generation. You won't get anything otherwise you would have