Ex-FIA chief says 26/11 terror attacks were planned in Pak; India to raise issue at NSA meet

Former FIA chief Tariq Khosa's revelation over 26/11 terror attacks will be raised in forthcoming Indo-Pakistan NSA level talks, news agency ANI has quoted sources as saying on Tuesday.

New Delhi: Former FIA chief Tariq Khosa's revelations over 26/11 terror attacks will be raised during the forthcoming Indo-Pakistan NSA level talks, news agency ANI has quoted sources as saying on Tuesday.

According to reports, the recent revelations by former Pakistan director general Tariq Khosa have given fresh ammo to the Modi government to raise the issue even more sternly with Pakistan.

Meanwhile, India feels that its stand is vindicated on the disclosures made by the Pakistani chief investigator of the 26/11 attacks that the carnage was planned and launched from his country, and the operation was directed from an ops room in Karachi.

"We have always insisted that the 2008 terror attack were planned, financed and carried out by people from Pakistan. Also, it is our view that 99 per cent of the evidence in the Mumbai case is in Pakistan," government sources said.

Pakistani prosecutors had enough evidence to nail perpetrators of the deadly attacks and if they had revealed it, the outcome of the Mumbai trial case would have been different, sources said, adding all those responsible for it including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi would not have been roaming free in that case.

The sharp reaction came in wake of revelations made by Tariq Khosa, chief investigator of the 26/11 attacks, that the mayhem was planned and launched from his country and that the operation was directed from an ops room in Karachi.

Khosa, a top police officer who was made Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) weeks after the 2008 Mumbai attack that left 166 people dead, has written a revealing article in Dawn newspaper giving graphic details of the plot and its investigation, thereby confirming what India has been saying for long.

Laying down the facts of the Mumbai attacks trial in the article, Khosa writes, "First, Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani national, whose place of residence and initial schooling as well as his joining a banned militant organisation was established by the investigators.

"Second, the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists were imparted training near Thatta, Sindh, and launched by sea from there. The training camp was identified and secured by the investigators," he writes.

He also demanded that Pakistan's state security apparatus should ensure that the perpetrators and masterminds of the "ghastly terror attacks" are brought to justice.

Noting that the case has lingered on for far too long, Khosa said dilatory tactics by the defendants, frequent change of trial judges and assassination of the case prosecutor as well as retracting from original testimony by some key witnesses have been serious setbacks for the prosecutors.

Last week, Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had confirmed that he has received a proposal from India for a meeting between National Security Advisors of the two countries on August 23-24 in New Delhi.

During the meeting, the National Security Advisers are expected to discuss cross-border terrorism, bail for Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and other security issues of mutual concern.

Despite the two Premiers agreeing to re-start talks on bilateral issues during their meeting in Ufa, the recent Gurdaspur terror attack has increased tension between the two countries. 

(With Agency inputs)