Islamabad: Two months after being in constant denial mode, Pakistan on Thursday finally admitted that "some part of the conspiracy" behind the Mumbai attacks took place on its soil and a case has been registered against nine people including Ajmal Kasab, the lone captured terrorist.
After a series of flip-flops denying Kasab's nationality and the role of Pakistani nationals, Interior Ministry chief Rahman Malik said "most of the conspirators" of the Mumbai strikes were in their custody.
Islamabad made its first formal response to the Indian dossier on the attacks blamed on terrorists based on its soil at a press conference by Malik who gave details of the probe followed a meeting Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal had with officials here this morning.
While the Indian Foreign Office said it will study the Pakistani response and react further, the Pakistani Foreign Office hoped India would reciprocate with the same spirit of cooperation.
Malik identified Hamad Amin Sadiq, a 38-year-old-man hailing from Punjab province, as the "main operator" in facilitating and coordinating the Mumbai attacks and named two others – one Khan and one Riaz – as accused in the case.
In all, cases have been filed against eight persons, six of them already in custody on charges of "abetting, conspiracy and facilitation" of a terrorist act.
Malik also said Lashkar-e-Toiba Operations Commander and alleged mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and Communication expert Zarar Shah were linked to the attacks. They have been located and were under investigation, he said.
He said Pakistan needed more information and assistance from India for bringing out a successful criminal prosecution and added they were sending 30 questions to New Delhi.
He said Pakistan wanted the DNA samples of Kasab to establish his identity. Among the things Pakistan wanted from India were Kasab's national identity card, electronic diaries seized and the confessional statement made by him in the Indian court and details of who helped in refuelling of one of the boats used by the terrorists.
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Malik said nine terrorists, who carried out the Mumbai attacks, had sailed from Karachi and one of the boats had returned to the port city.
Kasab was named among the accused who had "prima facie committed offences" punishable under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Pakistan Penal Code and Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance, Malik said.
Though Malik said the Indian dossier on the Mumbai incident named Lakhvi as one of those who had launched the attacks, he did not specify whether Lakhvi was named in the case.
Malik said Sadiq had operated two bank accounts from which transactions related to the attacks were made.
Information provided by Sadiq led investigators to two militant hideouts one in Karachi and another located a short distance from the southern port city.
The suspect identified as Khan purchased the engine that powered the inflatable rubber boat used by the attackers to travel from a trawler to the Mumbai shore and other articles
like life jackets. Khan also gave sleuths a phone number that helped them trace Sadiq, he said.
Another person arrested by the Pakistani authorities was Pakistani national Javed Iqbal, who allegedly made payments in Spain to acquire Voice over Internet Protocol phone numbers used by the attackers to remain in touch with their handlers.
Iqbal, who was living in Barcelona, was "lured" to Pakistan and arrested, Malik said.
Iqbal had named some other persons living in Spain and linked to the attacks. Pakistan has asked the Spanish government to arrest these persons, he said.
The Pakistani investigators also traced three boats that were used by the terrorists. Malik named two of the boats as Al-Husseni and Al-Fauz. Al-Husseini was reportedly capsized at sea while Al-Fauz was traced by investigators even though it was repainted and renamed Mashallah. The crew for both these boats was the same and they had been identified, Malik said.
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