Ex-Pakistan NSA Durrani's claim vindicates India's stand: 26/11 prosecutor

Mumbai: Special Public Prosecutor for 26/11 case, Ujjwal Nikam on Monday said former Pakistan NSA Mahmud Ali Durrani's statement that the 2008 Mumbai strike was a "classic example" of cross-border terrorism vindicated India's stand that the neighbouring country was sponsoring terror.

The lawyer said though Durrani's statement had no "legal value" it was important since it "exposed" Pakistan.

"The admission has no legal value but it is important for two reasons. It has exposed Pakistan thoroughly and India's stand that Pakistan is sponsoring terror stands vindicated," he said.

Durrani, a former National Security Adviser of Pakistan, today said in Delhi that the 26/11 Mumbai attack was carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan and called it a "classic" example of cross-border terror.

He, however, said the Pakistan government had no role in the attack that claimed lives of 166 people.

Seizing on the statement, Nikam said Durrani being a former NSA, his admission about the involvement of Pakistan would establish that it has sufficient evidence against such terror outfits and details of the conspiracy.

"I must congratulate Durrani on this admission but his attempt to save the state actors can not be accepted because Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley told a Mumbai court about links between LeT operatives and ISI personnel," he said.

"This would mean Pakistan cannot absolve itself from the responsibility of punishing state actors as well as non-state actors," Nikam added.