In a statement that challenges Pakistan’s claims about its probe into the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, David Headley on Saturday said his masters Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and top Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives were “okay and doing fine”, suggesting that the investigations were “superficial”.
It is to be mentioned here that based on dossiers sent by India and mounting international pressure, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) conducted a probe. However, the Indian agencies were not satisfied with the measures.
Headley, a US citizen with Pakistani descent, on Saturday, confirmed this before Additional Sessions Judge G A Sanap, during his examination-in-chief conducted by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. “Nothing will happen with them......this (the probe) was superficial...this is what I was told,” he said.
To place on record, Nikam referred to a series of e-mail exchanges during July-August 2009 between Headley, then in Chicago, and his handler Sajid Mir and between Headley and Major Abdul Rehman Pasha, the Pakistan Army officer-turned-Lashkar operative who later joined Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda.
Headley, in coded language, had constantly asked about Hafiz Saeed, the LeT founder and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the LeT chief-of-operations, to check on their wellbeing and also whether his cover was exposed. In fact, he referred to Lakhvi as “uncle” and Saeed as “old uncle”. Asked who was he reefering to as these uncles, he said: “The LeT leadership”.
On one occasion, he asked Mir “how is your uncle feeling these days” to which he got the reply, “uncle (Lakhvi) is feeling high...they are doing well...do not bother about rumours...they are okay and doing”. “Both are safe and nothing will happen against them,” he said.
On one occasion, he asked “did old uncle (Saeed) get H1 virus too”. Asked what it means, he said: “I heard that he was also under investigation and that he might be arrested.” When asked what the sentence, “does hospital want to a check up”, means, he said he wanted to know whether he would be arrested.
When Nikam asked why he wanted to know about his uncles, Headley said, “I was concerned.” Sajid Mir, in one of his mails, said, “Old uncle (Saeed) is like a tornado...he is fine....nothing would happen to them (Saeed and Lakhvi).”
Major Pasha in one of the mails told him: “Don’t worry about here...everything is normal....action against them (Saeed and Lakhvi) is superficial...you need not bother.”
Asked whether Sajid Mir and Major Pasha were arrested by FIA, he said: “They arrested a lot of people, but not these two, not to my knowledge.”
Questioned whether Lakhvi revealed his name to the agencies, he said: “Not to my knowledge, don’t think so.” He also denied FIA calling him to join probe.
In another revelation, Headley said Lakhvi’s son Qasim was killed in an encounter in Kashmir. “He was killed in fire fighting. ...In the memory of Lakhvi’s son, Sajid Mir adopted his name,” he said, and confirmed that in some mails, he has referred to Lakhvi as “chacha”.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks