Pak makes no headway in nabbing 20 suspects in 26/11 attacks

Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Nov 28 (PTI) Pakistani authorities have made
no progress in tracking down 20 suspects, including
Karachi-based LeT operative Muhammad Amjad Khan, who were
named in a chargesheet filed in an anti-terrorism court a year
ago for playing a key role in facilitating the Mumbai attacks.
Two years after the assault on India's financial hub that
killed 166 people, investigators have made no headway in
tracing these 20 suspects who helped arrange boats, finances,
training and equipment for the 10 Pakistani terrorists who
carried out the attacks, diplomatic sources told PTI.
The Federal Investigation Agency and Pakistani
intelligence agencies arrested seven suspects, including LeT
operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, in the months
following the attacks.
Lakhvi was arrested during an army raid in
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's capital Muzaffarabad while the
others were held in Punjab and Sindh provinces.
The trial of these suspects in a Rawalpindi-based
anti-terrorism court has been marred by repeated procedural
delays and controversies while the judge has been changed
thrice since the proceedings began last year.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said the proceedings
are stalled and can move forward only if a commission visits
India to interview key witnesses, including the lone surviving
attacker Ajmal Kasab.
Senior Indian security officials told PTI that except for
LeT operatives Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, the other five suspects
put on trial were "minor players" and had played
"inconsequential" roles in the planning and execution of the
attacks.
Diplomatic sources said investigators had no information
on the current whereabouts of the 20 other suspects named in
the chargesheet that was filed in the anti-terrorism court on
the first anniversary of the Mumbai attacks last year.
Most of the suspects are linked to the banned LeT.
A key absconding suspect is Muhammad Amjad Khan, a
shadowy LeT organiser and financier from Karachi who figured
in a majority of dossiers provided to Pakistan by India.
Khan, who hails from Multan, played a key role in
arranging and providing funds to the attackers. (More) PTI