Lahore: Ajmal Kasab and nine other terrorists
who attacked Mumbai last year were in constant touch with top
LeT commanders in Pakistan during the strikes and received
instructions to kill "political leaders, foreigners and
prominent personalities of India."
This was stated in the six-page chargesheet filed against
the seven suspects in custody in Pakistan, including
"mastermind" of the attacks Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who is also
the LeT's operations chief, and the terror group's
communications expert Zarar Shah.
Apart from Lakhvi and Shah alias Abdul Wajid, a
Rawalpindi-based anti-terror court has formally charged
Hamad Amin Sadiq, Abu al Qama alias Mazhar Iqbal, Shahid Jamil
Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum with planning and helping
execute the 26/11 strikes. They have all pleaded not guilty.
According to the chargesheet, Zarar Shah and Abu al Qama "remained in touch with the
terrorist co-accused, including Kasab, during the attack
through VOIP (Internet telephony), satellite phone, cell
phones while giving them instructions to commit maximum
international murder of persons, including political leaders,
foreigners and prominent personalities of India."
Kasab, who is the lone terrorist captured alive during the
26/11 attacks, is currently lodged in the high-security Arthur
Road jail in Mumbai.
The chargesheet states that all the seven suspects have
been charged with committing "international murder"
(Qatal-e-Amd) under the Anti-Terrorism Act and murder and
attempted murder under the Pakistan Penal Code.
The accused have been charged with involvement in the
killing of 166 people and injuring 304 others at several sites
in Mumbai because they provided training, funds, firearms,
explosives, grenades, boats, cell phones and GPS systems to
the 10 terrorists who carried out the attacks.
They have also been charged with hatching the criminal
conspiracy behind the attacks.
"All the seven accused, in collaboration with 20
absconding co-accused, had trained, instructed and provided
funds and hideouts in Karachi to the 10 terrorists before
launching them (from Pakistan) for carrying out deadly attacks
in India," the chargesheet states.
It says the first five accused – Lakhvi, Shah, Sadiq, Abu
al Qama and Riaz – are active members of the Lashker-e-Toiba
while Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum provided Rs 39.84 lakh to
the other accused through banks in Muzaffarabad, Karachi and
Gujranwala to prepare for the attacks.
Referring to the first five accused, it states: "In active
connivance (with) each other, they set up training camps
including at Yousaf Goth (in) Karachi (and) Mirpur Sakroo (at)
Tattha, Sindh under the operational command of Lakhvi."
The chargesheet adds that the five accused provided
instructions and training in the use of firearms, explosives
and other weapons and navigational training for "commission of
terrorism" to Kasab and the nine other terrorists who were
killed by Indian security forces.
The chargesheet describes Lakhvi as the "mastermind" of
26/11 attack "as he firstly received training and instructions
and then imparted the same in making use of firearms,
explosives, bombs and grenades to his co-accused Ajmal Kasab."
It states that five absconders – Usama Zia, Mukhtar Ahmed,
Md Abbas Nasir, Javed Iqbal and Gufyan Zafar – were involved
in transfer of funds to the attackers and their handlers.
Jamil Ahmed was charged with obtaining a Thuraya
satellite phone (SIM no 881655526412) in his own name from
Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and handing it over to Kasab and the
other attackers. Another accused Younas Anjum is the head of
the Multan division of JuD, the chargesheet states.
India has been unhappy over the slow pace of the cases
against the terror suspects and feels Pakistan has been
deliberately delaying action against them.
The seven accused, charged by the anti-terror court a day
before the first anniversary of the Mumbai attacks, could be
awarded death sentence if they are convicted.
According to the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act
and Pakistan Penal Code under which the accused have been
charged, they face death penalty and other punishments.
During their indictment on Wednesday, all the accused
were asked if they had heard and understood the charges and
their answer was "Yes."
When they were asked if they pleaded guilty, their
common response was: "I do not plead guilty and claim trial.
None of the allegations levelled against me in the charges is
supported by the statements of the witnesses and other
documents supplied to me."
PTI