New Delhi: The government has started
internal consultations to take a final call on whether to join
or not in a New York lawsuit filed by relatives of 26/11
victims suing Pakistan's spy agency ISI and LeT founder Hafiz
Saeed for their involvement in the Mumbai carnage.
Investigators and law officers have been in a huddle
to look into various aspects of the case and whether India
would be benefited by impleading itself in the lawsuit filed
in a federal court in New York.
The officers have also taken note of the testimony of
LeT operative David Headley in the trial of Pakistani-Canadian
Tahawwur Rana in a Chicago court that the Pakistani spy agency
and its operatives like Major Iqbal and Hafiz Saeed had helped
him in laying the groundwork for the Mumbai attacks.
"Hopefully, a decision on joining the New York lawsuit
will be taken within this month," an official said.
In the lawsuit, ISI chief Shuja Pasha and LeT are
being sued for the Mumbai attack. It was filed by the close
family members of Rabbi Holtzberg and Rivka, who were killed
by the terrorists at the Chabad House in Mumbai.
If the New York court is convinced about ISI's role in
26/11 attack, it will strengthen the case of declaring ISI as
terrorist outfit by the US and the UN.
In a recent interview, Pillai had indicated that India
could implead itself as a party in the lawsuit against
Lashkar-e-Taiba and ISI in a New York court if the government
here decides to do so.
"....now if you want to get involved, that is really a
political call (because) on the one hand you said that you
want to be friends with Pakistan and then you want a case
against Pakistan", he has said.
Home Minister P Chidambaram had yesterday that no
decision has been taken by the government on its joining the
New York lawsuit.
"No decision has been taken. I think there are
advantages and disadvantages...No decision has been taken on
that," he said.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, June 02, 2011, 21:43