Finally, Pak court charges mastermind Lakhvi, six others for 26/11

Kasab declared proclaimed offender
JAMMU/ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani anti-terror Court has framed charges against LeT's operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others for involvement in the Mumbai attacks and declared 16 people, including Ajmal Amir Kasab, as proclaimed offenders.



Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan, who is conducting the trial at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi for security reasons, formally charged the seven suspects, sources said, adding the accused protested against their indictment.

There are reports that Lakhvi has been named as the main conspirator behind the deadly terror strike.

Besides, Lashkar-e-Toiba operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the others against whom charges have been framed are Zarar Shah, Abu al-Qama, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum have been booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

They have been accused of training and providing financial support, accommodation, equipment and communications gear to the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai nearly a year ago.

They said the judge also rejected bail plea of some of the accused, besides declaring 16 people as proclaimed offenders.

KASAB DECLARED PROCLAIMED OFFENDER:  Among those declared proclaimed offenders is Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive during the 26/11 strikes, and crew members of the two boats used by the attackers, sources said.  The indictment of the seven suspects by the Pakistani court came on the eve of the first anniversary of the attacks that had left 183 people dead.  During earlier proceedings of the case defence lawyers had said that they plan to focus on Kasab's role in the attacks and possibly make a request for him to be brought to Pakistan to be cross-examined in the anti-terrorism court.  Diplomatic sources said they believed such a move could delay the trial. They had said that since Kasab was the lone surviving attacker and his confession to Indian authorities formed a crucial part of the case built up by Pakistani authorities against their clients, he should be brought to Pakistan to face trial.  Khwaja Sultan, one of the defence lawyers representing the suspects said that the trial court’s order will be contested in the higher court since there is no witness to prove charges levelled against his clients.

The trial is being conducted at the heavily guarded Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi for security reasons.  The court has directed lawyers and others associated with the trial not to discuss details with the media and journalists are barred from covering the proceedings.

LAKHVI, SHAH HAVE CONFESSED: In a startling revelation that exposes Pakistan's 'commitment' to bringing the perpetrators of 26/11 to justice, a leading Pak daily has said key Lashker-e-Toiba operatives Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah are "believed to have confessed" to their involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks but Pakistani authorities are yet to make it public.  Pakistani investigators have found "substantial evidence" directly connecting LeT to the November 26, 2008 attacks and proving "beyond any reasonable doubt" that it planned and financed the terror strikes, the Dawn newspaper said. An updated dossier on Pakistani investigation handed over to India on July 11 said the material recovered from LeT camps in Karachi and the coastal town of Thatta indicated that the terrorists were provided training and weapons by the outfit. "The investigation has established beyond any reasonable doubt that the defunct LeT activists conspired, abetted, planned, financed and established communication network to carry out terror attacks in Mumbai," said the dossier. The findings provided the basis for the trial which started last week of five arrested LeT operatives by an anti-terrorism court inside Rawalpindi's Adiala jail. "Lakhvi and Zarar Shah are believed to have confessed to their involvement in the attacks. But Pakistani authorities have never confirmed that publicly," the Dawn said. Pakistan has already charged Lakhvi, the mastermind of the attack, Zarar Shah and three other LeT men -- Hammad Amin Sadiq, Mazhar Iqbal alias Al Qama and Shahid Jamil Riaz. "There are sufficient oral, direct documentary, circumstantial and scientific evidence which directly connect the accused with the commission of the offence," said the charge-sheet.  Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and Mazhar Iqbal have also been charged with planning, preparation and execution of the attacks and operational handling of the 10 terrorists.  Zarar Shah was in charge of communication while Iqbal (al Qama) was the main handler, the report said.  Investigators here said they had recovered handwritten diaries, training manuals, Indian maps and operational instructions from the LeT camps. "The accused were running training camps for terrorists, providing sea and navigational training, conducting intelligence courses and directions for terrorist attack," the dossier said.  According to the new details, training sessions, codenamed 'Azizabad', were held in an LeT camp in Karachi from where the investigators seized militant literature, inflatable lifeboats, detailed maps of the Indian coastline, handwritten literature on navigational training and manual of an intelligence course.  Another training camp in Thatta was housed in five thatched rooms about two kilometres from a creek from where small boats sail to the sea. The terrorists also received training in this camp. The investigators seized pocket diaries containing names of the accused and other persons and details of expenditure of the camp.

RETD PAK MAJOR ARRESTED FOR HEADLEY LINKS:  Pakistan Army has arrested a retired Major for his alleged links with terror suspects David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, nabbed by FBI on charges of plotting attacks against India and Denmark.  Chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the Major, who retired two years ago, has been arrested and is currently being questioned by intelligence agencies.  He was held as he was "in communication" with Headley and Rana, Abbas said.  However, Abbas denied a report that five Army officers, including two serving Colonels and a retired Brigadier, had been detained by authorities, describing it as a "fabrication" by those running a "campaign" to embarrass the Pakistan Army.

The retired Major, who was not identified, was reportedly arrested in the garrison city of Rawalpindi that houses the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters. He was taken into custody after FBI gathered information that he was in e-mail and telephonic contact with Pakistani-origin Chicago resident Headley (49) and Pakistan-born Canadian national Rana (48).  Headley and Rana were in contact with the Lashker-e-Toiba and militant commander Ilyas Kashmiri, the FBI has said.  According to documents filed in court by the FBI, Headley travelled to Pakistan to meet a man identified only as 'individual A' and they together visited Kashmiri in the restive tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.

The FBI said Headley travelled to Pakistan this year and was headed there again when he was arrested on October 3 at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

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