Pakistan probing 26/11 suspect over financial assistance to LeT men

Pakistan is investigating another Mumbai attack suspect, who has recently been arrested, for allegedly providing financial assistance to the LeT men to carry out the deadly assault in 2008.

"The FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) has arrested Sufyan Zafar recently and is interrogating him for his role in providing financial assistance to the accused of the Mumbai attack - who are lodged in the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi," FIA special prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar told PTI today.

He said Zafar was absconding after being declared proclaimed offender in the Mumbai case.

A resident of Gujrawala district of Punjab, some 80km from Lahore, Zafar is among 21 other absconding suspects wanted in this high-profile case.

"Zafar will be indicted in the Mumbai case after completion of the investigation," the FIA official said.

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has charged seven Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) activists - its operations commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum - with abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack.

The case has been underway in the country for more than six years.

Lakhvi, the mastermind of the Mumbai attack, is living at an undisclosed location after getting released from jail on bail over a year ago.

The other six suspects are in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

The trial proceedings have come to a halt as India is yet to send 24 witnesses to Pakistan for recording of their statements in the trial court.

Pakistan says the trial cannot be concluded unless India sends its nationals for recording their statements in the case.

As many as 166 people were killed and over 250 injured in the attack carried out by 10 LeT men.

Nine assailants were killed while the lone survivor, Ajmal Kasab, was captured and later executed.