Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Karnataka
|
Pak rejects India's sixth dossier, wants more proof against Saeed | Pakistan on Saturday rejected the sixth dossier received from India, saying that the contents provided in it were not enough to arrest or prosecute Hafiz Saeed, the main accused in the 26/11/2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in a court of law and asked New Delhi
to provide more evidence in connection with the case. Addressing a news conference
here after meeting Indian High Commissioner Sharad Sabharwal, Pakistan's Interior
Minister Rehman Malik said: "We want more evidence from India so that the case
can be made solid and tangible." "We have submitted all information available
to us, but we want more information to make our case solid," said Malik, adding
that in the absence of enough evidence, the court would exonerate Saeed for lack
of authentic proof. "We need forensic experts' testimony on various evidences,"
Malik said, adding: "We are fighting terror in Pakistan. We have been sincere
in fighting it." "We have made progress in 26/11 probe despite sketchy information
provided by India," Malik also said. Saying that legal proceedings against Saeed
were on, Malik revealed details of the Pakistan Government's efforts made so far.
He said that so far 101 witnesses had deposed, 126 items had been seized as incriminating
evidence, and 25 hideouts had been identified. Bank accounts connected to the
case have also been traced and identified, and the boats used have been discovered,
he added. Sources in the Indian Government said that Rehman's rejection of the
sixth dossier clearly indicated that Pakistan is not serious about taking the
26/11 probe to its logical conclusion, and reiterated their demand for the arrest
and prosecution of all masterminds and accused in the case. Earlier, during his
meeting with High Commissioner Sabharwal, Malik reportedly discussed the progress
being made by Pakistan in the 26/11 probe.. Malik said that if there is conclusive
evidence before the establishment, charges would be framed against the seven accused.
Earlier, an anti-terrorism court here, which is conducting the trial of seven
suspects linked with the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008, including LeT
operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, on Saturday adjourned the hearing of
the case till September 26. No other details of the proceedings were available
due to a strict media blackout imposed by Judge Baqir Ali Rana, who is conducting
the trial inside the high-security Adiala Jail in the garrison city of Rawalpindi
due to security reasons. The hearings are being conducted in-camera and Rana has
issued a gag order, citing national security concerns as well as the security
of the accused and witnesses. It is still not clear whether the seven accused
have been formally indicted, though authorities have prepared two chargesheets
against them. Lawyers representing the accused said they had been directed by
the judge to strictly adhere to the gag order and not to discuss the proceedings
with the media. Five LeT operatives Lakhvi, communications expert Zarar Shah,
Abu al-Qama, Hamad Amin Sadiq and Shahid Jamil Riaz being tried by the anti-terrorism
court. They have been accused of providing training, financial support, accommodation,
equipment and communications gear to the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai last
year. No details are available of the charges against the two other suspects,
Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, a lawyer representing Jamaat-ud-Dawa
(JuD) chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed has said the two cases filed against his client
are very weak and not sustainable in any court of law. Saeed's lawyer A K Dongar
said the charges against his client were ridiculous. Dogar was referring to the
two cases filed by Faisalabad Police - one relating to his sermon at the Royalton
Hotel in Faisalabad's Canal Road on August 27, and second for a speech at an Iftar
dinner at Peoples Colony, Jaranwala Road Faisalabad on August 26, where he urged
people to launch a holy war against those who've suppressed their rights. "I have
gone through both the FIRs against Saeed thoroughly. The charges against my client
are very weak. He has expressed his views like any other Pakistani," claimed Dogar.
According to the TIMES NOW television channel, two cases were registered against
Saeed and one against his close aide Abu Jandal at police stations in Faisalabad,
some 100 kilometers from Lahore. On Friday, Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram
said Islamabad must question Saeed, notwithstanding the fact that two cases had
been filed against him that were not related to that tragic event. Chidambaram
said the authorities should avail the opportunity of questioning Saeed on the
26/11 episode also, once he is arrested. "...I am told that it's (FIRs agaisnt
Hafiz Saeed) not related to the 26/11 attacks. Even if they apprehending him on
some other charge, and use the opportunity to question him on his involvement
in 26/11 attacks, that would be a significant progress in the case. I hope that
they question him on 26/22 too," Chidambaram told TIMES NOW after his US visit.
Insisting that Saeed should be tried for his involvement in the 26/11 terror attack,
Chidambaram said: "There is no trial there. The trial has not started there. In
fact, my complaint has been even before I visited the US, that we don't have a
date set for the trial and to best of the my knowledge, the first witness has
not been examined. Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna also asserted
that the main agenda of his meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood
Qureshi in New York would be to pressurise Islamabad in taking action against
perpetrators of last year's Mumbai terror attack. Krishna said this while speaking
to media persons at Turkmen capital Ashgabat during his visit to that country
on Friday. "I cannot spell out what exactly I can expect from such meetings. But
this much I can assure that my attempt would be to impress upon the Pakistan foreign
minister the desirability of taking action against the brains behind the Mumbai
attack," said Krishna. The Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan and diplomats
of the two nuclear-armed rivals are scheduled to meet in New York next week on
the sidelines of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly. |
|
|
|
|
|