'Triumphant' Pakistanis highlight conspiracy theory: Ajmal Kasab died of dengue, link to Osama

Its coverage of the execution ranging from a near blackout to conspiracy theories, Pakistan's radical Urdu press stopped short of showing sympathy for Ajmal Kasab.

In a report attributed to the Indian media, Daily Ummat in Karachi claimed that "Kasab died of dengue" and questioned why the government did not wait for his recovery. It quoted from social networking sites and various reports about Kasab's health in Indian newspapers and magazines. "The government of India needs to explain whether Kasab was hanged or had died of dengue a day earlier," the report said.

Roznama Express said, "There are conflicting reports regarding the burial of Kasab in the jail and there are reports that suggest that after the government declared that a burial (on the jail premises) would be dangerous, the body was buried at sea like that of Osama bin Laden."

The Roznama Express report contrasted how Pakistani and Indian media covered the execution. It says Pakistani news channels and other media stopped at a few tickers while the execution was a major news story all over Indian television.

Roznama Duniya in Lahore ran a column, "Aik aur Aik", written by Munir Ahmad Baloch and revolving around a conspiracy theory. The column starts with a reference to the Bollywood film Wednesday, based on a terror plot, and describes Kasab's execution as the second edition of the reel story shown in Wednesday.

"The way Ajmal, who was seen playing a Holi of blood at Victoria Terminal (CST) in Mumbai by television viewers across the world, ran around and opened fire on commuters, he didn't look less than a Bollywood character," read the column.

"His hair was so clean, it looked as if he had just shampooed it. He looked fresh and clean-shaven. His T-shirt and trousers, with long pockets, were washed and ironed. The way film actors run around with confidence, knowing that they won't be hit by a bullet, Ajmal Kasab too looked as if he was shooting for a film."

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