26/11 Mumbai attacks: Pakistan FIA did not probe role of Hafiz Saeed and Headley

New Delhi: Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency, which probed the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, has not investigated the role of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and the reccee conducted by David Coleman Headley with the help of Pakistan army officers.

As per the dossier prepared by India for handing over to Pakistan during the now-cancelled NSA-level talks, the role of ISI has been conveniently left out of FIA probe even though the chain of evidence requires to be probed and it will be difficult to proceed if ISI operatives are left out.

India has listed in the dossier the gaps in FIA probe into the Mumbai terror strike case saying the magnitude of the attack had reflected long planning by various players and close coordination among different stake holders.

This big picture has not been stitched by FIA in its probe while evidence against seven arrested and 20 proclaimed offenders were not enough since crucial proof available in the American FBI probe has not been properly incorporated in it.

According to the dossier, the Pakistani probe agency has not at all investigated the role of Hafiz Saeed even though he not only planned the attack in close coordination with Zaikur Rehman Lakhvi and others but himself monitored the progress of training of the terrorists and involved in motivating them.

FIA conveniently did not examine Faiza Qutalah, wife of Headley, to get evidence against Hafiz Saeed who continues to roam freely in Pakistan.

The reccee of the targets was an important part of the conspiracy and it was done by Headley who was handled by Sajid Majid, Abdul Rehman, Major Iqbal and Major Sameer but FIA did not probe this crucial part of the conspiracy.

FIA has investigated Karachi part of the conspiracy that include training, acquisition of logistics but the beginning of the conspiracy like training, motivation etc. which took place in PoK capital Muzzafarabad, Mudrike and Lahore has not been covered at all.

Trainers like the 'Frogman' (Headley has identified him as Abdul Rehman) and other Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives who were in-charge of the training have not been covered at all by FIA investigation, it said.

According to the dossier, prepared by Indian intelligence agencies, the facilitators of the 10 terrorists, who had carried out the attack in Mumbai in November, 2008 killing 166 people, was not examined by FIA and it did not look into the crucial aspects about who arranged their stay, training, movement, especially from Lahore to Karachi.

The establishment of a control room in Karachi, role of Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, an Indian, his role in the control room was not probed by FIA, besides the role played by those present there.

The voice samples of the accused have not been made available to be compared nor Lakhvi was interrogated properly to give finer and exhaustive details about his accomplices and associates.

FIA probe did not cover how the crucial logistics for the Mumbai terror attack were procured and who gave them.

A number of names have come out during Indian investigation. They are Nussar Javed, Abu Saeed, Saeed Engineer, Abu Anas, Abu Dujana, Abu Qahafa. But no probe was conducted by FIA to find out their culpability.

Probe into the activities of Headley has not been conducted even though a number of witnesses are available in Pakistan.

Friends, associates and family members of Headley had complete knowledge of the conspiracy and also facilitated his travels. Their testimonies could be of great value to link circumstantial evidence, says the dossier.

Headley was given Fake Indian Currency Notes by Major Iqbal for his use in India. This aspect was not covered by FIA.

The nexus of Illyas Kashmiri, now believed to be dead, and his outfit with LeT accomplices has not been covered in the FIA probe.

FIA did not bother to examine a number of e-mails and telephone conversations related to the conspiracy. The funds provided by ISI to procure a boat has not been probed nor the source of arms and explosives and the background of the 10 terrorists were investigated, it said.