26/11 ‘state’ slur on Pak

Mumbai, March 9: The final phase of the 26/11 trial began today with the prosecution painting the attack as a “classic case of state-sponsored terrorism” and highlighting the Pakistani army establishment’s alleged role.

“The terror attack of 26/11 is a classic case of state-sponsored terrorism,” special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said, opening the final arguments as Maharashtra home minister R.R. Patil and minister of state for home, Ramesh Bagwe, watched. The two paid a “surprise” visit to the courtroom inside the high-security Arthur Road jail.

Patil was home minister when the attack occurred on 26 November, 2008, and had to quit days later for saying “Bade bade sheheron mein aise chhote chhote haadse hote rehte hain (such small incidents do take place in big cities).” Patil was reappointed home minister after his party, the NCP, retained power with ally Congress last October.

Nikam repeated the theme of Pakistan’s alleged involvement — “the attackers were provided military training” and “any other organisation could not provide such detailed training as it is taught only in the military”. But he did not put forward any additional evidence to buttress his claims other than the confessional statement by Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani gunman captured alive during the strike.

“Probably a few eyebrows will be raised in court. But an irrefutable, irresistible inference can be drawn that the attack was sponsored by state actors involved in (the) security apparatus (of Pakistan),” Nikam said. Kasab had referred to one “Major Saab” who he claimed was present during the training.

Lahore ruling

Lahore High Court today held that the confessional statement made by Kasab in Indian police custody was “a bad piece of evidence” and did not fulfil the requirements of the law of evidence. The ruling by the court’s Rawalpindi bench came as it upheld an anti-terror court’s order dismissing an appeal for acquittal from seven men, including Lashkar top gun Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, accused of involvement in the 26/11 attack.


The Telegraph