Investigators may approach Headley's wives for questioning

New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Indian investigators may
approach for questioning the wives of Pakistani-American LeT
terrorist David Headley as they feel that he had stonewalled
information about his family, who had knowledge about his
activities in India and his links with the outfit.
According to the 106-page dossier of the National
Investigation Agency (NIA), prepared after the detailed
questioning of Headley in the US, he had told the Indian
investigators that they should not ask him any questions
pertaining to his immediate family.
"I got married to Shazia Gilani in Pakistani in the
year 1999...I do not want to discuss the details of my
in-law's family as they have nothing to do with my
activities...," Headley is quoted as saying in the dossier.
Further stonewalling information about his immediate
family, especially his first wife, Headley told the NIA team
that "my request would be not to ask questions relating to my
immediate family members."
NIA had been briefed to probe the role of 50-year-old
Headley's family especially in the context of statements made
by his second wife Faiza Outalha, claiming that members of the
family were in the know about his activities and relations
with Lashker-e-Taiba and his nefarious designs in India.
When the US was delaying providing access to Headley
earlier this year, Indian officials had asked their American
counterparts to at least provide access to his wife -- Shazia
-- with a reasoning that she had claimed in her statement that
she knew about his role.
Sources in the government establishment feel that
questioning of his US-based wife and another girlfriend may
help them in getting more insight into Headley's activities in
Pakistan and India.
Also in the light of the American media reporting that
several complaints had been registered with the Federal Bureau
of Investigation and the US Mission in Islamabad about
Headley's association with LeT had also necessitated the need
for questioning the family of the American-born terrorist, the
sources said.
The sources also feel that some people in the
Pakistani Government were helping Headley and the reason
behind this belief was that how could his Moroccan wife enter
India through Wagah border when this point is exclusively
meant for citizens of India and Pakistan.
Outalha is a Moroccan passport holder and could only
use the route through special permission from the Pakistani
foreign office.
It may be mentioned here that Headley alias Daood
Gilani has two half-brothers -- Hamza and Daanyal Gilani --
and both of them are officers in the Pakistan Government.
In his reply to NIA, Headley had said, "Daanyal was
also posted as the information officer in the Prime Minister's
Office and my father worked in the Pakistan Broadcasting
Department. He had gone to the US on deputation to Voice of
America." PTI SKL
PBL