India strikes while the iron is hot – issues ‘fugitives’ list

The 50-name list includes Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar and Ilyas Kashmiri.

NEW DELHI:

With Pakistan still dealing with the fallout of the Abbottabad operation, India has issued a list of 50 men that it wants extradited to stand trial on terror charges – which includes Pakistan Army officers.

Among them is “Major Iqbal”, charged with allegedly giving directions to those who carried out the Mumbai attacks in 2008, and “Major Sameer Ali”.

Also on top of the list is Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed.

Rehman Pasha, one of the fugitives on the list, is believed to have been the handler of terror group Indian Mujahideen, through the LeT’s Karachi Project.

Although India has repeatedly insinuated that Pakistan Army is involved in spreading terror in India, this is the first time that officers have been named.

The list was given to Interior Secretary Qamar Zaman Choudhary by Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai in March 2011 and is a compilation of people who either caused incidents or are hiding in Pakistan.

While many prominent militants were features on the list, 40 per cent of the names were affiliated with the Dawood Ibrahim gang from the Mumbai criminal underworld, many of whom were allegedly involved in the 1993 Mumbai bombings.

Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar, once India’s most wanted man, who was released after the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar, also figures on the list.

Also included in the list is Ilyas Kashmiri who is accused of transnational crimes and a conspiracy to commit various terrorist acts in India. He also figures in speculative reports as the one tipped to become al Qaeda chief after Osama bin Laden’s killing.

Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Sayeed Salauddin, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front founder Amanullah Khan, Punjabi terrorists Lakhbir Singh, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Ranjit Singh alias Neeta and Wadhawa Singh were also named as most wanted fugitives.

Despite repeated attempts to contact the Foreign Office, The Express Tribune was unable to get any comments or reactions from government officials.



Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2011.