Top Pakistani Security Official Is Fired

Via WSJ -

The dismissal of a top Pakistani security official reveals growing divisions within the government here over how to handle investigations into November's terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday sacked the country's national security adviser, Mahmood Durrani, for confirming that the sole surviving Mumbai attacker, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, is a Pakistani citizen.

The unexpected move exposed deep strains in the shaky civilian administration. President Asif Ali Zardari, who appointed Mr. Durrani to his post, wasn't consulted on the decision to fire him and learned of it only after it had been made public, according to presidential aides.

Mr. Durrani, a retired army general, was fired shortly after an interview with an Indian television network Wednesday in which he confirmed that Mr. Kasab is a Pakistani. A statement issued by Mr. Gilani's office that evening accused Mr. Durrani of "irresponsible behavior" and of making an unauthorized announcement.

Mr. Durrani, who had also served as ambassador to Washington, said he was shocked when he heard the news of his removal on a private Pakistani news network. He denied any wrongdoing. "It had already been decided that we should confirm that the gunman was a Pakistani because hiding that makes no sense," he told The Wall Street Journal in a telephone interview Thursday.

Mr. Durrani's disclosure marked the first time a Pakistan government official has acknowledged Mr. Kasab's Pakistani origin. Since the Mumbai attacks, Islamabad had dismissed any Pakistani link to the 60-hour siege of India's commercial and financial center, which sharply escalated tension between two nuclear-armed South Asian rival powers. The attacks claimed 171 lives, including those of nine terrorists -- all said by India to be operatives of Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

It wasn't immediately clear why Mr. Durrani was singled out for punishment for confirming Mr. Kasab's nationality. A few hours after his disclosure, Pakistan Information Minister Sherry Rehman and the country's foreign ministry also publicly confirmed Mr. Kasab's Pakistani citizenship.

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This makes Pakistan look even worse than the fact that Mr. Kasab is of Pakistani origin. Sacking a official for saying the truth....a piece of truth that was already assumed by most...looks bad.

Does Pakistan want to appear as if they are hiding facts of the investigations?