Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Friday assured that a formal request for the extradition of LeT activists David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain will be made after the completion of probe into their purported role in 26/11 attacks.
With a wealth of information pouring every day regarding the duo’s terrorist intentions, the government wants to collect concrete evidence to build a strong case against them before requesting their extradition.
The statement was made in response to US Ambassador Timothy J Roemer’s recent remarks that the Indian government has so far not made a formal request for the extradition of the two LeT operatives.
Roemer even asked Pakistan to recognise the dangers and dismantle the terror infrastructure existing on its soil.
The two are currently in custody of the US’ FBI on charges of plotting terrorist attacks in India.
A parallel investigation by the FBI and the Indian agencies have revealed duo’s link with the ISI, Pakistan Army and their role in last year’s dastardly terror attacks in Mumbai.
The investigators in Pakistan have also arrested a former high ranking official of the Army for having links with alleged Headley and Hussain Rana.
According to media reports, the arrested official is said to be holding the rank of a colonel or brigadier general in the Pakistani Army.
The officer has been named a co-conspirator of the Headley and Rana by the FBI.
The duo may also be reporting to Ilyas Kashmiri, a militant associated with Al Qaeda and LeT, who is a former Pakistanuy Army officer.
The American intelligence officials believe that some Pakistani military and intelligence officials even encourage terrorists to attack what they see as Pakistan's enemies, including targets in India.
A Canadian national, Rana had made several trips to India in the past several years along with his school-time friend Headley, who has also been arrested on same charges.
Earlier, Home Minister P Chidambaram had said that there was a link between Pakistan and the two terror suspects caught in the US.