'LeT asked Mumbai attackers to kill politicians, foreigners'
Ajmal Kasab and nine other terrorists who attacked Mumbai last year were in constant touch with top LeT commanders in Pakistan during the strikes and received instructions to kill ''political leaders, foreigners and prominent personalities of India.''
This was stated in the six-page chargesheet filed against the seven suspects in custody in Pakistan, including "mastermind" of the attacks Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who is also the LeT's operations chief, and the terror group's communications expert Zarar Shah.
Apart from Lakhvi and Shah alias Abdul Wajid, a Rawalpindi-based anti-terror court has formally charged Hamad Amin Sadiq, Abu al Qama alias Mazhar Iqbal, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum with planning and helping execute the 26/11 strikes. They have all pleaded not guilty.
According to the chargesheet, a copy of which was accessed by PTI, Zarar Shah and Abu al Qama "remained in touch with the terrorist co-accused, including Kasab, during the attack through VOIP (internet telephony), satellite phone, cell phones while giving them instructions to commit maximum international murder of persons, including political leaders, foreigners and prominent personalities of India."
Kasab, who is the lone terrorist captured alive during the 26/11 attacks, is currently lodged in the high-security Arthur Road jail in Mumbai.
The chargesheet states that all the seven suspects have been charged with committing "international murder" (Qatal-e-Amd) under the Anti-Terrorism Act and murder and attempted murder under the Pakistan Penal Code.
The accused have been charged with involvement in the killing of 166 people and injuring 304 others at several sites in Mumbai because they provided training, funds, firearms, explosives, grenades, boats, cell phones and GPS systems to the 10 terrorists who carried out the attacks.
They have also been charged with hatching the criminal conspiracy behind the attacks.
"All the seven accused, in collaboration with 20 absconding co-accused, had trained, instructed and provided funds and hideouts in Karachi to the 10 terrorists before launching them (from Pakistan) for carrying out deadly attacks in India," the chargesheet states.
It says the first five accused – Lakhvi, Shah, Sadiq, Abu al Qama and Riaz – are active members of the Lashker-e-Taiba while Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum provided Rs 39.84 lakh to the other accused through banks in Muzaffarabad, Karachi and Gujranwala to prepare for the attacks.
Referring to the first five accused, it states: "In active connivance (with) each other, they set up training camps including at Yousaf Goth (in) Karachi (and) Mirpur Sakroo (at) Tattha, Sindh under the operational command of Lakhvi."
The chargesheet adds that the five accused provided instructions and training in the use of firearms, explosives and other weapons and navigational training for "commission of terrorism" to Kasab and the nine other terrorists who were killed by Indian security forces.
The chargesheet describes Lakhvi as the "mastermind" of 26/11 attack "as he firstly received training and instructions and then imparted the same in making use of firearms, explosives, bombs and grenades to his co-accused Ajmal Kasab."
It states that five absconders – Usama Zia, Mukhtar Ahmed, Md Abbas Nasir, Javed Iqbal and Gufyan Zafar – were involved in transfer of funds to the attackers and their handlers.
Jamil Ahmed was charged with obtaining a Thuraya satellite phone (SIM no 881655526412) in his own name from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and handing it over to Kasab and the other attackers. Another accused Younas Anjum is the head of the Multan division of JuD, the chargesheet states.
India has been unhappy over the slow pace of the cases against the terror suspects and feels Pakistan has been deliberately delaying action against them.
The seven accused, charged by the anti-terror court a day before the first anniversary of the Mumbai attacks, could be awarded death sentence if they are convicted.
According to the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Pakistan Penal Code under which the accused have been charged, they face death penalty and other punishments.
During their indictment on Wednesday, all the accused were asked if they had heard and understood the charges and their answer was "Yes."
When they were asked if they pleaded guilty, their common response was: "I do not plead guilty and claim trial. None of the allegations levelled against me in the charges is supported by the statements of the witnesses and other documents supplied to me."
