Pakistan contorts: Fire the truth teller

 

The NYTimes reports:

Pakistan's national security adviser, Mahmud Ali Durrani, confirmed Wednesday that the lone surviving gunman from the Mumbai terrorist attacks, Muhammad Ajmal Kasab, is a Pakistani citizen. Hours later Mr. Durrani, a respected retired army general and former ambassador to the United States, was fired by the Pakistani prime minister for “irresponsible behavior.”

As the report continued:

The bizarre turn of events — which came after repeated claims by Pakistani officials that they could find no proof of Mr. Kasab’s nationality — showed how deeply the aftermath of the Mumbai siege has riven the country’s fragile government as it struggles to come to grips with what American officials have said is clear evidence that Pakistani nationals plotted the attack.

But even Pakistan has to eventually accept the evidence:

Later in the day, the Pakistani government hastily acknowledged that Mr. Kasab was a citizen and announced that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had fired Mr. Durrani for failing to take Mr. Gilani “and other stakeholders into confidence” and for a “lack of coordination on matters of national security.”...

“Supposedly, he’s unhappy that I made the statement without consulting him,” Mr. Durrani said of Mr. Gilani, noting that two government spokesmen confirmed Mr. Kasab’s citizenship.