Pak to grill 26/11 'mastermind' Lakhvi

The judge issued the order after reviewing evidence produced by investigative agency against them, the sources were quoted as saying, PTI reported.

The judge recorded the suspects' statements before sending them to physical remand, the report said.

Meanwhile, 'Dawn' on Sunday reported, quoting an unnamed security official, that the suspects, including Lakhvi, were produced before judge Sakhi Mohammed Kahut of the anti-terrorism court at an undisclosed location.

The FIA is expected to submit a chargesheet against the suspects at the end of the remand, it said. The agency has already conducted preliminary investigations into the case.

Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, was arrested in December near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Both Lakhvi and Shah, another accused named in the FIR is Hamad Ameen Sadiq, a key militant linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, western diplomatic sources told news agencies.

Pakistan on Saturday briefed foreign envoys on the steps taken by it to cooperate with India in bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice and to eliminate terrorism and militancy.

The heads of diplomatic missions in Islamabad were also briefed by foreign secretary Salman Bashir on Pakistan's perspective on "peace, security and stability, with particular emphasis on the situation in South Asia".

Meanwhile, Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik on Saturday said that his country may demand from India the custody of Ajmal Kasab, the lone survivor among the accused of the Mumbai terror attacks.

"So far, we have not asked India for the custody of Kasab. But we may seek it if the investigation demands," Rehman Malik said in the southern port city of Karachi, adding that at the moment, it would be premature to say anything else in the matter.

India was quick to react, saying there was no way this could happen.

"The crime was committed in India. There is no question of handing Kasab to them. In fact, Pakistan should hand over to India the other suspects they've arrested because they were responsible for this terror attack. It can't be the other way around," sources in the Indian external affairs ministry said in New Delhi.

"On what basis do we send Kasab out there? The crime was committed out here (in Mumbai), therefore logic and reasoning demands that the suspects who they've rounded up be sent here (to India)," the sources told IANS.

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said the state had gathered enough evidence to show that Kasab, the only surviving November 26 Mumbai terror suspect, had been a part of the criminal conspiracy hatched in Pakistan to orchestrate the terror strikes at pre-decided sites in Mumbai.

"We have all the evidence required. The chargesheet will be filed within a couple of days," Nikam said.

"He is not educated and (is) poor and the concept of religion was wrongly projected to him," he said.

IANS reported that Nikam said while victims of such systematic brainwashing by extremist forces needed proper handling, there was a need to distinguish between a freedom fighter and a terrorist.

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26/11 suspects in Pak FIA’s custody

A court here on Sunday sent six accused in the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks to 14-day police remand. All the accused, including prime suspect LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, will now be in the custody of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) which is probing the 26/11 strikes.

FIA officials had on Friday tried to obtain physical remand of the suspects "without producing them in the court, but their efforts proved unproductive".

Officials at Pakistan's foreign office said Saturday that the Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court has issued a 14-day physical remand of the six alleged suspects, into the custody of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The judge gave the order after reviewing the evidences produced by the agency against them, officials said, adding that the suspects' statements were also recorded in the court.

Admitting that part of the Mumbai attacks conspiracy was planned in Pakistan, Interior Minister Rehman Malik had on Thursday said that a first information report (FIR) had been registered with FIA's Special Investigation Unit. The minister also admitted that the lone terrorist caught in Mumbai, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was a Pakistani.

Eight suspects had been identified in the FIR, six of whom have been arrested. Two are still at large.

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No choice but to wait for Pak response: Pranab

India has "hardly" any choice except to patiently wait for Pakistan to respond to the dossier given on mumbai attacks, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Monday. "We won't get anything by simply losing our patience, so hardly we have a choice," Mukherjee said here at a function of a private news channel.
He was responding when asked how long India will wait for Pakistan's response to India's demands after the Mumbai terror strikes for which Pakistan-based elements have been blamed.

India gave the dossier of evidence on January 5 and has since been waiting for Pakistan to respond officially.

Pakistan has said it is investigating the matter and would get back to India as soon as it is over.

Queried on his status now since he is discharging duties of the Prime Minister, he said, "Simply I am discharging duties, neither I am officiating nor acting, neither de-jure nor de-facto".

He said under the Constitution of the country, there can be only one Prime Minister. But "the Prime Minister can delegate some responsibility to his colleagues and I am doing exactly that".

Replying to a query on whether he had any apprehension about the Nuclear Suppliers Group giving its waiver last year, the External Affairs Minister suggested that he was not sure till it happened.

"Unless it (deal) was done, to be very frank, I was not convinced that we will be able to succeed. It was done only after the NSG waiver came on September 6," said Mukherjee who had remained awake virtually through the night as the 45-nation grouping deliberated on the issue in Vienna till early morning of September 6.

To a question on which of the many GoMs headed by him (Mukherjee) will have any lasting impact on the country, the external affairs minister said he does not take anything to his credit.

"Because in our system, we do everything in consultation and collectively. So success and failure have to be shared collectively," he said.

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26/11 probe report ready; will share findings: Pakistan

Responding to India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s comments that Pakistan is unresponsive over 26/11 mumbai terror strike investigation, Pakistan’s External Affairs Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the investigation report is ready.
"The Federal Investigation Agency of the Interior Ministry of Pakistan has completed the preliminary investigation and sent (its report) to the Law Department," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters here after addressing a conference at the International Islamic University.
He went on to add that the report will be sent to India and other countries soon.

After a review by the Law Department, the report on the preliminary investigation will be received by the Foreign Ministry and then it will be shared with India and the international community, he said.
"Pakistan has assured India and the world community that it is seriously making progress in the process of investigating the Mumbai attacks and wants to bring the culprits to justice," Qureshi said, adding Pakistan wants peace in the region and good relations with its neighbours.
He said Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik met Home Minister P Chidambaram today and updated him on the latest developments regarding the investigation into the Mumbai attacks.
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon had on January five handed over to High Commissioner Malik in new delhi the dossier containing evidence, which included confession of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist held during the Mumbai attacks.
Qureshi said Pakistan has always condemned terrorism and extremism in all its forms anywhere in the world and it had been promoting the message of peace and brotherhood.
Pakistan does not want confrontation with anyone in the region as it wants to concentrate on its economic development and strengthening its democratic process, he said.
The country wants to promote the message of peace, love and tolerance and concentrate on trade, he said.
Referring to reports of threat to High Commissioner Malik, Qureshi said the issue was taken up with the Indian government and he had now been provided additional security.

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Pak must ensure 26/11-like attacks don't recur: McCain

Washington, Jan 29: Pakistan should take steps that reduce the threat of a reccurence of Mumbai-like terrorist attacks, US Republican Presidential candidate for the 2008 election, John McCain, has said.
"This is what would satisfy the United States," McCain told at the conclusion of a Senate Committee hearing on the Mumbai terrorist attack at the Capitol Hill here.

"To satisfy the US ... Well actions that clearly indicate they have reduced the threat of their reoccurrence (of Mumbai terrorist attacks)," McCain said, when asked what actions of Pakistan would be satisfactory to the United States.

"I think that there are variety of reasons that argue for the arrest of the people who are responsible (for the attack) and the terrorist's organisations," he said.

Referring to the testimony by experts at Senate Committee hearing on Mumbai attack, McCain said it should be a very high priority to prevent heightening of tension between the two South Asian neighbours.

"I agree with the witness that it is very high priority to prevent heightening of tension between the two countries and the United States should do everything we can to prevent escalation of tensions," McCain said.

Earlier during the hearing McCain said the Mumbai terror attack was "well orchestrated, well trained and well planned" and had outdone security forces until commandos showed up.

"They were not necessarily suicide individuals, they were able with just handful of people to hit 10 targets... I think there are a whole lot of lessons... that may be we have not paid much attention to," he said.

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Pak incapable of action against terror: Pranab

As it awaits a concrete response from Pakistan on steps taken against perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks, India has raised questions on whether the government in Islamabad was deliberately not taking action against terrorists or incapable of doing so.

"Yes, one way you can make a differentiation that they are deliberately not doing or are incapable of doing. But as far as India is concerned, the net impact is the same ... the perpetrators are launching terror attacks from the territory of Pakistan," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.

"The infrastructural facilities there (are) used by them (for) committing crimes in India, not necessarily in this case but in a large number of cases in the past," he said in an interview with Al Jazeera news channel.

Mukherjee said India expects the Pakistan government to act against the perpetrators of terror acts operating from Pakistani soil.

"We expect Pakistan to act. Whatever is to be done from our side we are doing so ... but Pakistan has to act because the handlers and planners (of Mumbai attacks) were from Pakistan," he said.

Mukherjee said India expects three things from Pakistan -- dismantle terror infrastructural facilities, take strong action against perpetrators of terror attacks and look for fugitives of Indian law who have committed crime in India and taken shelter in Pakistan.

Pakistan cannot shrug its responsibilities to the international community, Mukherjee said when pointed out that several areas in the neighbouring country were out of control of the government there.

"Every country is responsible to protect its territory, to protect its citizens and also to ensure that its territory is not misused by miscreants to cause trouble in neighbouring countries," he said.

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Pakistan's report on 26/11 terror attacks in 10 days

Acknowledging that the dossier on Mumbai attacks given by India contained "leads and good clues", Pakistan on Saturday promised fair investigation even if its citizens are suspected and said its results will be shared with New Delhi first.

Pakistan said it wanted to have an approach of "cooperative engagement" with India as war is no solution to the problem of terrorism which is a global phenomenon.

"Quite a lot of material" was provided by India and the Pakistani investigators will work to convert this into "evidence that can stand up to judicial scrutiny", Interior Ministry chief Rahman Malik told a press conference in Islamabad.

No case regarding the Mumbai attacks has been registered so far in Pakistan. "If prima facie evidence is available on record, we will then convert it into a criminal case," Malik said, adding the time needed for any prosecution would depend on the judiciary.

He said the three-member counter-terror team, probing the Mumbai attack and examining the Indian dossier, has been directed to submit its preliminary findings within 10 days. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the interior ministry is examining India's dossier on the Mumbai attacks that was handed over to Pakistan on January 5.

"We have said that after examining the dossier, completing our investigation and examining information from other sources, we will share our findings with India first," Qureshi said.

Pakistan will pursue an approach of "cooperative engagement" to deal with any further questions that may arise with regard to the Mumbai incident, he said.

Qureshi said if "any individual or entity linked to Pakistan" is found involved in the Mumbai attacks, the government will take action against them according to the country's law.

Replying to a question in his hometown of Multan, he said the Mumbai incident was not a matter confined to India and Pakistan as nationals of several countries, including the US and Britain, were killed in the attacks.

"We have been successful in conveying our stand that war is not the solution and that terrorism is a global and regional phenomenon. We need a regional approach," he said. "We don't want to create war hysteria.

The political and military leadership has made measured comments and we will stick to this. We will remain vigilant and it is our endeavour to de-escalate and defuse the situation," Qureshi added.

He, however, alleged that there was "no consistency" in India's stance in dealing with the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks.

"There is no consistency in India's stance," Qureshi said, referring to what he described as flip-flops by New Delhi on matters like the involvement of the Pakistani state and its institutions in the Mumbai attacks and the prosecution of suspects.

He accused that Indian leaders had changed their position after initially stating that the Pakistan government and its institutions were not involved in the incident. He also said they had made a shift after stating that any Pakistani individuals linked to the attacks could be tried within the country.

"You can see the changes. Pakistan's stand is strong and consistent we honestly want to get to the bottom of the matter and the elements involved should be unmasked. The perpetrators should be brought to justice," Qureshi said. MORE PTI RHL ZH 01172142 DELHI NNNN

PRI GEN INT Meanwhile, Malik said that Pakistan was not acting under pressure from India and will not accept "dictation" from anyone regarding the probe.

Asked about British Foreign Secretary David Miliband's comments yesterday that Pakistan needs to go "farther and faster" in prosecuting those involved in the Mumbai attacks, Malik said: "We will not accept anyone's instructions to do things faster."

Malik outlined the terms of reference and guidelines for the investigating team, which was directed to conduct "a transparent and legally tenable inquiry". The team will "establish legally verifiable credentials of suspects allegedly involved in the terrorist attack".

It would "inquire into the available information supplied by India with the view to transforming (it) into evidence for further legal action". It will also collect "all other related evidence for legal action according to the law of Pakistan".

Malik said all further action would be taken according to Pakistani laws, virtually ruling out the handing over of any suspects linked to the Mumbai attacks to India.

He reiterated Pakistan's demand for a joint probe into the incident, saying: "Our investigators must interact. If you want good and quick results, please allow your investigators to interact with us."

He said the "best course of action" would be for investigators from both sides to interact and share information because terrorists are the "common enemies" of India and Pakistan.

Malik also assured the world community and Indian authorities that Pakistan is "very serious in its commitments" to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice. "We are with India and...we are doing everything possible to bring the suspects, militants and terrorists to justice," he said.

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Can’t believe Pak govt unaware of 26/11 plot:India

India on Monday handed over the dossier of evidence to Pakistan proving the involvement of elements in that country in the Mumbai carnage. Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said that not only was the conspiracy behind the attacks hatched in the neighbouring country but it was hard to believe that no one in the administration was aware about it.
Addressing the media here, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said that now that India had provided evidence, Pakistan should extend all its assistance to bring the perpetrators to Indian justice.

Observing that the investigation into the serial terror attacks in mumbai were not over, the Foreign Secretary said while the crime was committed in India, the conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan.
"Hence we have requested Pakistan to fulfil her commitments to us," he said.
' Act now '
“India has asked Pakistan to investigate the evidence material given to it on the Mumbai terror attacks and extend legal assistance so that the perpetrators could be brought to justice,” Menon said.
Menon pointed out that the investigation and the evidence it produced has led India to believe that the kind of operation undertaken in Mumbai couldn’t have been planned without someone being in the know.
“Conspiracy behind the crime (in Mumbai) was hatched in Pakistan and hence India has requested Pakistan to fulfil its commitments,” Menon said.
' Not interested in mechanisms '
India hopes that Pakistan will not "repeat the previous pattern" of not cooperating when India shared evidence regarding the attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul, Menon said.
”We don’t want any mechanisms. There are ample mechanisms under SAARC etc. We want actions, not words,” he said.
Legal assistance from Pakistan extends up to and includes extradition (of perpetrators of Mumbai attacks), he said on being asked if India had asked Pakistan to hand-over the accused to it.
He also rubbished the ‘non-state-actors theory.
Ban on JuD ineffective
India also alleged that the ban on Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the parent organisation of LeT- was not working. “Their website is still being updated. We have not been told officially that action is being taken against terror organisations. India is not impressed,” Menon emphasised.
He also pointed out that banning of terror organisations had taken ion the past, but to no avail.
Our goals are clear. We want the perpetrators to be brought to Indian justice, he added.
Lobbying world-over
He also revealed that India was actively lobbying with all friendly countries around the world so that concrete action is taken against terrorists in Pakistan.
“We have begun the process of briefing foreign countries. Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee has written to his counterparts around the world about the evidence. We have today held special briefings for the ambassadors of those countries whose nationals were killed in Mumbai,” he said.
He informed that India had shared the evidence with China.
"This is a threat to the international community and not India”, that is why we are putting forth the evidence, Menon added.

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CMs meet to discuss strategy against terror

A meeting of Chief Ministers will be held in New Delhi on Tuesday for a 'focused discussion' on the issue of terrorism and evolve a strategy to improve intelligence sharing in a well coordinated manner.
"The whole idea is to have a focused discussion on terrorism and how the states and the Centre can join and share intelligence," Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta told reporters.
The meeting, to be addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram, assumes significance as it is going to be held in the wake of Mumbai terror attack.
Noting that intelligence sharing alone can act as a preventive mechanism, Gupta said the day-long meeting will deliberate on what should be done at the state level and how best the Centre can assist the states in terms of money, manpower and weaponry.
He said the Centre was ready to increase the budget for police modernisation in states, but added that the central funds should be used more on priority needs like weaponry and special mobility requirements rather than police housing.
The Home Secretary said Tuesday's exercise will be followed by a meeting of chief ministers of seven states badly affected by the naxal violence, termed as the single biggest threat to internal security.
Need for increasing police strength, setting up of a specialised police force and the issue of improving coastal security will be discussed threadbare, he said.
Involvement of community to improve intelligence gathering and filling up of large number of vacancies in state police are likely to be suggested at the meeting.

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Mumbai attackers had links to Pakistani soil: US

Stating it was "clear" that the Mumbai attackers had "links that lead to Pakistani soil", senior US diplomat Richard Boucher Monday evening said Pakistan and India should cooperate in the probe into the carnage as each possessed "pieces of the puzzle" that could help find the perpetrators.
While urging the South Asian neighbours to cooperate in the probe, the US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia said, "Each side has pieces of the puzzle and they need to be known to each other."

"The two sides need to exchange information. People have to work with each other," Boucher said at a press conference at the US embassy, Geo TV reported.
The US diplomat arrived here early Monday for talks with the Pakistani leadership in a bid to defuse the tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad sparked by the 26/11 attacks in which more than 170 people, including 26 foreigners, were killed.
India Monday handed over to Islamabad evidence linking the terrorists behind the attacks to elements in Pakistan, which Boucher described as a positive step.
Boucher said it was "clear that the attackers had links that lead to Pakistani soil".
He also said Pakistan's crackdown on the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a charity with links to the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), showed the country's "commitment to eliminate sources of terrorism on Pakistani soil".
"There is determination here to follow up and find the groups that are responsible so they never do it again," he said.
Boucher is to go to India for meetings with leaders in New Delhi.

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Pak must follow the leads given by India: Boucher

Pakistan must follow the leads given by India and track down the perpetrators. This is US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher's clear and strong message to the Pakistani government after his meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Minister Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Speaking at the American Embassy in Islamabad, Boucher said, "It was clear that the attackers had links that lead to Pakistani soil. The US wants Pakistan to investigate the information provided by India, follow available leads and track down perpetrators so that similar attacks do not occur in the future. India and Pakistan both had "pieces of the puzzle".
Richard Boucher's statement came just hours after New Delhi handed over evidence on the Mumbai attacks to Pakistan. Boucher who is scheduled to be in New delhi on Wednesday also said America had a direct interest in the probe as six of its citizens were killed in the Mumbai attacks and wants those responsible to be found.
In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Pakistan's Information Minister Sherry Rahman has confirmed that Pakistan had received the evidence and would carry out an investigation.
Media reports in Pakistan are quoting government sources as saying that a joint investigative committee would be formed to look into the evidences that New delhi has handed over to Islamabad.
According to sources, the committee would look closely into places, telephone numbers and Internet Protocols addresses pointed out in evidences.
The committee would also form the future course of action after carrying out a preliminary enquiry.

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Banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa planning to change name?

Is Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), front organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, preparing to reincarnate under a new name in the wake of a ban clamped on it by the UN Security Council for its involvement in Mumbai terror attacks?

According to sources here, JuD may be planning to rename itself as 'Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool' (Movement for defending the honour of God) to avoid restrictions which Pakistan could be forced to impose on it because of UNSC sanctions.

The indication that JuD may be thinking of changing its name came as some senior cadres of the outfit recently organised a rally in Pakistan under the banner of Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool (THR), the sources said.

In fact, JuD itself is a reincarnation of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) after the latter was banned by the US seven years ago.

Formed in 1990 in Kunar province of Afghanistan, LeT does not believe in democracy and Saeed, its founder leader, has publicly declared it several times that 'jihad' is the "only way Pakistan can move towards dignity and prosperity".

India feels that Pakistan is using 'jihadis' as "one of the arms of diplomacy" and due to this reason, it is not taking any action except "tokenism" against JuD despite the UNSC ban imposed on December 11 in the wake of November 26 Mumbai attacks.

New Delhi contends that JuD continues to engage in various kinds of activities under the garb of education and "so-called charities", with Islamabad turning a blind eye to it in "flagrant violation" of international law.

In this context, the sources said the headquarters of JuD or LeT in Muridke near Lahore continues to be functional.

JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, who is supposedly under house arrest, is said to be freely moving about though in a restricted manner escaping the media gaze, the sources said.

India is peeved at the special treatment being meted out to Saeed by Pakistan, contending that he should be put in a regular prison rather than "so-called house arrest" since he has been accused of involvement in heinous crimes.

Pakistan has also not imposed any restrictions on publication of magazines and other literature by JuD, despite these activities being prohibited by the UNSC resolution, the sources said.

"There is anything but compliance with the UNSC resolution by Pakistan," they said.

The UNSC could be approached to highlight how Pakistan is disregarding its resolution but there is a view in Delhi that reasonable time should be given before this option is utilised.

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Salaskar's daughter wants death sentence for Ajmal Amir

The daughter of slain encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar, who was killed during the Mumbai terror strikes exactly a month ago, on Friday called for death sentence to Ajmal Amir Iman, the lone terrorist captured in the attack on November 26.

"It (killing of Vijay Salaskar) angers me. I feel that the worst death sentence should be given to him (Ajmal)," his daughter Divya Salaskar said reacting to the death of her father during the shoot-out with the terrorist.

Describing her father as her life's "control room", Divya said she had time and again fallen back on Vijay Salaskar if anything went wrong in her life.

"On my cell phone, his name is entered as 'control room'. So I knew that if I have someone as the control room, he will take care of everything for me. It (his killing) was a major setback. Just three or four hours earlier, we had our dinner together. How is it (his death) possible?" she wondered, recalling her father.

What angered her the most was the lack of weapons and protective equipment for the police officers and men, who were fighting the terrorists on the fateful day, Divya told a news channel.

"How can you face a terrorist with a small service revolver? If every policeman were given an AK-47 or an AK-56 in his hand, even the terrorist would have thought twice before striking in Mumbai," she said.

Meanwhile, Kavita Karkare, wife of ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who too fell a martyr during the Mumbai terror siege, told a meet on secularism in the metropolis that her family was quite religious and she personally believed that all religions preached peace.

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Ajmal Kasab to confess live on TV: Report

Apparently looking to call off Pakistan’s bluff in front of the international community, investigators are now looking at the possibility of a worldwide live broadcast of Ajmal Kasab’s confession on his role in the Mumbai attacks and also reveal details about his antecedents.

What has precipitated thinking towards such a bold step, as claimed by leading English daily, is Pakistan’s continuous rejection of all concrete evidences provided by India about the complicity of Pak based groups in the recent terror attacks.

Moreover, India has also revealed names of all the ten terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks.

A high-level meeting was convened in New Delhi, yesterday, to look at the pros and cons of bringing Kasab live on TV and as per reports senior intelligence officials and home ministry officials are positively inclined towards the bold gambit.

However, the final decision lies with the Centre and reports claim that it will announce the date –when Kasab will be live on TV- shortly.

The development comes even as Kasab’s remand ends today and is due to be produced in court. Incidentally, he still has no lawyer as many of those who came forward to defend later though otherwise owing to the angry reactions from rightwing organisations.

This would be first such move of its kind by any country in which the live confession of a terrorist will be broadcast live across the world. To make the confession comprehensible, Kasab’s confession will also have English subtitles.

The move reflects Indian government’s frustration about the defiant attitude of Pakistan, even as India faced the worst ever terror strike. Moreover, the move also aims to further corner the Yousuf Raja Gilani government and prove before the international community that Pakistan has repeatedly failed to live up to its commitments against terrorism.

Indian authorities have been providing substantial evidence about the nationality of those who attacked Mumbai and their masterminds but Pakistan has been categorically rejecting to acknowledge the fact that all those involved in the incident were actually its citizens, who were especially trained for the purpose by militant organisations operating from its soil.

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Pak claims no record of Ajmal in its national database

Pakistan, which faces accusations of being in constant denial mode after the Mumbai terror attacks, today claimed it had no record of Ajmal Amir Iman, the lone captured terrorist but promised to respond by tomorrow to his letter seeking legal assistance from it. 

An examination of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan's national database, had provided no records on any national named Ajmal Amir Iman alias Ajmal Kasab, Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik told reporters.

"As far as Ajmal Kasab is concerned, NADRA authorities do not have any records of his," Malik said after a meeting with visiting Interpol chief Ronald K Noble here.

Islamabad has not acknowledged that Kasab is Pakistani and has said it is waiting for proof of his citizenship. In an embarassment to the Pakistani government, former premier Nawaz Sharif said last week Kasab is of Pakistani origin.

"Pakistan's High Commission (in New Delhi) has received a letter said to be written by Kasab and we will get it examined by our experts. We will give a detailed response today or tomorrow," Malik said. Kasab has written that all the gunmen involved in the November 26 attack came from Pakistan.

In the letter, a copy of which was sent to Malik yesterday by the Pakistan High Commission, Ajmal had detailed the circumstances of his arrest and sought legal assistance from the Pakistan government. 

Malik claimed that the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the banned terrorist group blamed for the Mumbai attacks, did not "exist now" and the government would decide on proscribing its front organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) if investigations proved it was involved in terrorist activities.

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Nobody wants war but situation worrisome: PM

Downplaying apprehensions of an armed conflict with Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said nobody is talking about a war but noted that the situation was worrisome.

Describing the terror strikes in Mumbai as an "attack on India's ambitions to become an economic power", he asked the world community to make Pakistan dismantle the "terror machine" existing on its soil.

"The issue is not war. The issue is terror and territory in Pakistan being used to provoke, to aid and abet terrorism.

I think that is the issue, the issue is not war. Nobody wants war," he told reporters outside Parliament when asked for his comments on the current stand-off with Pakistan in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks.

His comments were clearly aimed at putting to rest the fears of a war, a day after Pakistan Air Force conducted aerial manoeuvres in major cities to demonstrate its preparedness for military conflict.

Without naming Pakistan, Singh told a conclave of over 120 Indian Ambassadors and High Commissioners here that "non-state actors were practising terrorism aided and abetted by state establishments."

India is seeking peace and stability in its neighbourhood but the situation was "worrisome", Singh told the first-of-its-kind conference called to apprise envoys on how to present New Delhi's case across the world in the current scenario.

Referring to terror strikes in Mumbai, he said these were "an attack on the country's ambitions to emerge as an economic power" but "India would not accept a situation where terrorism is used as an instrument to cripple India's economy or the values it stands for."

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Mumbai attack: US backs Indian proof of Pak hand

The US has endorsed the evidence gathered by Indian agencies about 

the complicity of Pakistan's state actors in the terrorist 
attack on Mumbai, in what can 
result in stepped up international pressure on the Zardari regime to take action against the mentors of Lashkar-e-Taiba. 

Top US intelligence official John Michel McConell is learnt to have expressed complete satisfaction with the strength of India's case against Pakistan, based on FBI's examination of call records of satellite and cellular phones used by Mumbai attackers and their Pakistan-based handlers. 

McConell confirmed that one of the numbers logged on the satellite phone the terrorists used while navigating their way to Mumbai belonged to known Lashkar terrorist Abu Al Qama. Indian intelligence officials are familiar with the satellite phone that Qama uses. The US, using its leverage with Sharjah where Thuraya is headquartered, corroborated this fact, and also the fact that Qama was passing instructions to the attackers from Pakistani soil. 

India's case about the Pakistan hand has also been borne out by the data the Americans retrieved, using their superior technology, from the damaged mobile phones used by terrorists while they were carrying out the massacres in Taj and Trident hotels. The phones had got severely damaged in the fire that broke out during the gunfight. 

"We are committed to get to the bottom of this case," US officials are learnt to have told their Indian counterparts during their interaction spread over 48 hours. 

The Americans are planning to confront the Pakistanis, still in denial mode, with the evidence that their own investigation has thrown up. Sources said the UK has also passed on electronic intercepts, described by a senior source as "one clinching piece of evidence", to India. 

McConell, along with FBI officials who have been camping in India in connection with the probe into 26/11, has held meetings with home minister P Chidambaram, national security advisor M K Narayanan and senior Indian intelligence officials. 

Indian experience with the US intelligence agencies has so far not been satisfactory, with the latter winking at evidence against Pakistan because of its dependence on Islamabad for success in Afghanistan. Indian agencies, however, feel that the response could be different this time because of the fact that Mumbai casualties included US nationals. 

The FBI is mandated to take the probe to the logical culmination, which will include charging the names of Lashkar leaders and their collaborators in ISI that come up in the probe.

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India hands over Qasab's letter to Pakistani envoy

India on Monday handed over letter written by Mumbai terror attack accused Ajmal Aamir Qasab to Pakistan High Commission.

He has sought a meeting with the Pakistani High Commission.

Ajmal Aamir Qasab, the lone terrorist captured alive in the 26/11 attacks had admitted to being a Pakistani citizen, and asked his government for legal aid.

Qasab had written a letter to the Pakistan High Commission, in which he admits to his role in the 26/11 attacks, and talks about his associates and handlers.

Pakistan has so far refused to acknowledge that the men behind Mumbai's terror strikes were from that country.

Qasab's letter could embarrass the Pakistani government which has maintained that the men behind the Mumbai terror strikes were not from Pakistan.

Qasab has named more than 4 handlers in Pakistan, including ex-Pakistani army officers who trained his module.

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I was completely devastated after Mumbai attacks: AR Rahman

AR Rahman and music are synonymous. The mellifluous magic that the maestro composes enchants the very being of listeners across the world. His soulful music is a balm in these chaotic times, when India wreathes in pain after repeated terror attacks on its integrity and bloodbath in the name of region and religion.

And now he has won the prestigious Golden Globe nomination for his compositions for the internationally acclaimed ‘Slumdog Millionaire.’

In an exclusive interview to Spicezee.com’s Swati Chaturvedi in ‘Kahiye Janaab’, AR Rahman shares his views on these turbulent times, his music and much more.

Swati: Being an artist, you are all the more sensitive to the problems that are plaguing the nation. What is your reaction to the terror attacks in Mumbai?

Rahman: I was completely devastated. The whole week was very bad. I had to finish a film. I finished the film and left for America. I was going through stress and extreme sadness. It took me almost a week to return back to my normal self.

Swati: Are you sad or angry after the attacks?

Rahman: Both. I am angry because it is inhuman to take lives. People who are responsible for our protection (read politicians) should not only inform and alert everyone, but also provide proper security. Rich or poor, every human being is entitled to proper security against such attacks. The good thing is that people are mature, they understand the problem and are not getting involved in the blame game. People are trying to tackle the problem intellectually. It’s important for educated masses to understand and work towards preventing such terror acts in the future.

Swati: You feel that the country is developing but do you think, somewhere the politicians are holding back the nation?

Rahman: No. India is a young country. Indians are strong and are progressing. Nobody can hold us back. I firmly believe that Indians are sensible and spiritual. Of late, the understanding has become better. We know what is true and what is false.

Swati: Your good friend Aamir Khan refrained from celebrating Eid. Did you celebrate Eid?

Rahman: No Eid this time. Even my wife called up and said that she doesn’t feel like celebrating Eid. There was so much sadness everywhere.

Swati: Of late, Islam is being labeled. What is the message of Islam for you?

Rahman: I became spiritual because of Sufism and it is a universal phenomenon. Sufism has followers from all religion. Because of Sufism, I have got success. India is a blessed place; even the Prophet has said this. Religion should not be labeled. Education is the message of Islam. Everyone should get proper education so that they gain wisdom.

Swati: How much does the political situation in the country affect your music?

Rahman: It actually kind of exhausted my energy. I had to take a break. I was in shock last week, but music is my medicine. Music transports and heals you. I feel that I am blessed and I want to share the same feeling with others. That’s why I don’t take hiatus from work because it is work that rejuvenates me. It is great to give something as beautiful as music to others.

Swati: Your song ‘Rubaru’ was very well received. Please tell us about it.

Rahman: ‘Rubaru’ means light and it is relevant in these dark days. Right now, there is so much confusion, negative feelings and anger. As an artist, what you can give is love and free hugs.

Swati: You have got stupendous success as a music composer. Which is personally your favourite album?

Rahman: My latest Nokia Connections album gave me a lot of creative freedom. I did what I wanted to do. The song collection in the album is diverse. There are songs, which have never been done before. I have used a different style. The internal feedback that I have received is very good. Let’s see what people have to say about it. The compositions include a song from old Tamil literature, a love song - Jiah se Jiah, Punjabi song – Dil and other tracks.

Swati: Your music is becoming more meditative with age. Your take on this…

Rahman: I became old when I was 12 due to the circumstances in my family. May be I am getting younger now.

Swati: What is your inspiration while composing a romantic song?

Rahman: Love is definitely a phenomenon that transports you into a different world. Love is such a feeling that is beautiful. Even if a person is coming to murder you, love can change that person.

The interview ended on such a ‘lovely’ note, the maestro even crooned ‘Jiah se Jiah’ love song.

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Ajmal Amir Kasab should get lawyer for "fair trial", says Chief Justice of India

Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan on Wednesday said Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested in the Mumbai attacks, should get a lawyer to defend himself so that "there is a fair trial".

"I don't think he will go undefended. But even for helping the court for a proper trial assistance of a lawyer is required. What is the role he has played will come to light if there is a fair trial. Somebody will have to defend. It shall not be one way traffic," he told a private news channel.

Several lawyer bodies have refused to take up Ajmal's case. The opposition Shiv Sena in Maharashtra too has threatened lawyers against defending him in court. Balakrishnan also favoured a strong anti-terror law but added that it must also safeguard human rights.

Asked whether he favoured a strong anti-terror law in the country in the wake of the November 26, he said "Of course we should have strong laws."

"But it should take care of human values providing basic human values to the accused. Strict law is good. I am in favour of it. But how the law should be it is for Parliament to discuss and deliberate. People of the country should feel safe to live in the country," the Chief Justice said.

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