Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's office says Pakistan's national security advisor has been fired for issuing "irresponsible statements" on national security without consulting the prime minister.
Wednesday's announcement came just hours after private Pakistani television channels quoted Mahmood Durrani as saying the lone surviving gunman from the attacks on Mumbai, India, is indeed a Pakistani national.
It was the government's first confirmation that Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, who is in Indian custody, is Pakistani, as New Delhi has repeatedly alleged.
In another development, an Indian newspaper on Wednesday published the transcript of a phone call made by gunmen during the Mumbai attacks that left more than 170 people dead in November.
According to the transcript obtained by The Hindu newspaper, gunmen were told to "inflict maximum damage." During one exchange at a besieged hotel, a gunman said, "We have three foreigners, including women." The response from an unidentified voice was, "Kill them."
The transcript says the exchange was followed by the sounds of gunshots and cheers. The assailants were also told to kill any hostages if they became a burden.
The Hindu newspaper says the text was part of a dossier of evidence that India turned over to Pakistan this week. The document includes a list of items recovered in the attacks, including global positioning devices and weapons.
India's government says evidence proves the attacks were carried out by Pakistani nationals armed and trained by the Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba.
On Wednesday, Indian Defense Minister A.K. Anthony said Pakistan has made no serious attempt to dismantle what he described as a terror infrastructure.
In an interview published Wednesday in the German magazine, Der Speigel, Pakistan's intelligence chief says there will not be a war with India over the Mumbai attacks.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha also said that terrorism, not India, is the greatest threat to Pakistan.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
