New Delhi: Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday said that Hafiz Saeed, the leader of the Pakistan based militant group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, may have been present in a Pakistani “control room” where the attacks were coordinated.
According to reports, Indian authorities have long viewed Hafiz Saeed as the mastermind of the attacks in which 166 people were killed. In April the United States announced a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
Although Islamabad did not react to the charges on Friday, it previously has rejected Indian allegations of any involvement and said it has acted against the members of Lashkar-e-Taiba accused of mounting the raid.
Responding to media representatives, the home minister said that regarding that questioning of an Indian man suspected of helping plot the operation had revealed the existence of the control room and suggested it had state support.
“Yes, others were also present and we think one of them was Hafiz Saeed,” Chidambaram said when asked if the group’s founder had been in the room at the time.
Sayeed Zabiuddin Ansari, an alleged key plotter of the attacks, was arrested in New Delhi on June 21 as he arrived from Saudi Arabia.
The police have accused him of training the 10 militants who went on a rampage in India’s financial hub.
Ansari, who also went by the names Abu Hamza, Abu Jindal and Abu Jundal, was present in the “control room”, located in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, Indian newspapers, citing intelligence sources, said on Wednesday.
“His interrogations now prove beyond doubt the existence of such a control room,” Chidambaram said. “Such a control room could not have been established without some kind of a state support.”
The Mumbai attacks served to further strain the already fragile relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors, which have fought three wars in the past 65 years.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription