ISLAMABAD: The noose is tightening and the Asif Ali Zardari-led government finds itself isolated with mounting evidence pouring in to prove that the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks were trained in Pakistan.

In another indirect admission, Pakistan on Thursday reportedly rejected a request by the US to let its Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) match the DNA samples of Mohammed Ajmal Amir, the only terrorist captured alive during the 26/11 strikes, with that of his family members in Faridkot village of the country’s Punjab province.

Pakistani officials, sources said, claimed that there was no question of matching the DNA samples because they don’t have any records to suggest that Ajmal was a Pakistani national.

A five-member FBI team had visited Faridkot on Wednesday. Islamabad is also learnt to have turned down FBI’s request to question Lashkar-e-Taiba’s commanders Zarar Shah and Zahi-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged masterminds of the 26/11 strikes. Pakistani officials, sources said, said the FBI had nothing to do with the Mumbai attacks.

A Wall Street Journal report on Wednesday said Zarar Shah had admitted to his role in the Mumbai attacks to Pakistani interrogators.  The biggest dilemma before the elected Pakistani government is whether take action against LeT and annoy the military and intelligence set-up, which makes or breaks the civilian governments. But not doing so may lead to more steps by international community.

Most observers in Islamabad agree that the situation unfolding in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks presents the most serious challenge to the state of Pakistan since 1971.
As things stand, no one knows as to how the Pakistan government will respond, though it has to do something to satisfy international opinion.