It has been eight years since the November 26 terror attacks in Mumbai and eight months after Pakistani American David Headley deposed in court on the role of members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) behind the attacks, but no cognisance has been taken of this.
Talking to The Hindu , Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said, “We have got the evidence about Pakistani army officers’ involvement with the LeT and this has been substantiated by email correspondence between Headley and the LeT.”
The Hindu is in possession of the relevant emails exchanged between Headley and the LeT and the ISI.
The trial against Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, one of the handlers of the 26/11 attacks currently lodged in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail, is ongoing. Mr. Nikam said, “One of the purposes of examining Headley in Abu Jundal’s trial was to get information out of him. Headley gave evidence with email correspondence and said that he was working on behalf of the LeT and, at the same time, the ISI.”
“Headley has exposed how Hafiz Muhammad Saeed [co-founder of the LeT and the chief or amir of the Jama’at-ud-Da’wah) and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi [a top leader of the LeT] were saved by the Pakistani authorities, as has been reflected by the emails, which were sent by the LeT operative to Headley. It is clearly mentioned that ‘Big Uncle’ was used [as a reference] for Saeed and ‘Small Uncle’ was used [as a reference] for Lakhvi,” Mr. Nikam said.
Headley had identified the email address ‘chaudherykhan@yahoo.com’ as that of Major Iqbal of the ISI, who was in constant touch with him, asking him for reconnaissance videos and photographs of Mumbai. The email sent to Headley before the attacks on May 19, 2008, read, “ hi how are you no contact what is the progress on the projects please update me on cameras.”
After the attacks, on August 28, 2009 an email was sent by Headley from gulati22@hotmail.com to Sajid Mir, a LeT handler, on the email id rare.layman@gmail.com that read, “Heard old uncle of yours got H1 virus too and the doctors at the hospital want to give him a check up.”
On August 31, 2009 an email was sent by Sajid Mir to Headley which read, “my old uncle is fit and healthy like anything. In the days he is moving back and forth for his business like tornedo don’t put an ear to rumour.”
Mr Nikam says, “He says this is clinching evidence against the involvement of Pakistan.”
