Zardari's Non State Actor 'Kasab' is Pakistani

After weeks of cussed denials, Pakistan finally came around to acknowledging that Ajmal Kasab, the captured Mumbai terrorist, could be

Pakistani.

The confirmation, by information minister Sherry Rehman to a news agency, is a small but significant step. She said, "We are confirming he is a Pakistani, but investigations are still going on." ( Watch )

Signficantly, late-night reports from Pakistan said that national security advisor Mahmud Ali Durrani had been sacked for acknowledging that Kasab could be Pakistani. According to the reports, Durrani had made the statement without checking with the government.

Although Rehman hedged her statement and Pakistani foreign secretary Salman Bashir officially refused to confirm it, the fact is, a window could have opened up. It would be the most important fallout of the dossier diplomacy by India over the past couple of days, which was as much a public relations exercise as a way to pressure Pakistan into acting. If Pakistan does indeed acknowledge Kasab's identity, it will be because it was left with absolutely no other option.

While the government here said there was no official confirmation of Pakistan acknowledging Kasab's identity, if Pakistan does so, it could break the logjam of charges and counter-charges between the two countries.

It would be seen as a huge concession by Islamabad, after weeks of denial had Indian leaders almost purple with rage and frustration. It will be seen as a diplomatic breakthrough by the US, which has said it has been pushing Pakistan to "act" on Indian demands.

But an important aspect of the Pakistani confirmation is the absolute denial of Kasab's links with any official agencies, something Pakistan has stressed since PM Manmohan Singh on Tuesday declared that Pakistan's ISI was involved. Clearly, they will want to insulate the ISI from attack.