LAHORE: As 11 gunmen wreaked havoc on Mumbai in 2008, and killed 166 people over the course of three days, the planners watched the terror unfold live at a rented house in the North Nazimabad neighbourhood of Karachi, sources privy to investigations revealed to The Express Tribune.
The planners not only watched the terror unfold via cameras carried by the attackers, they provided them live instructions to engage Indian security personnel and inflict maximum damage, sources added.
Pakistani and Indian investigation agencies have found as many as 35 people to be involved in the siege at landmarks in India’s financial capital while Indian authorities have been able to trace the exact location of the ‘base camp’ of the attack in Karachi, sources added, while discussing a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) report on the attacks. According to the report, available with The Express Tribune, these terror suspects provided logistic and financial support to the gunmen who carried out the attack.
The extensive report includes names of the captain and crew of boats that carried the attackers to Mumbai, financers of the operation, the facilitators in Karachi and those who provided logistical support and technology.
The attackers were purportedly trained at sea near Thatta and had even made preparatory trips to Mumbai, unnoticed by the Indian navy, sources added.
The investigations, however, refute claims made by Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the leading planners of the Mumbai attacks.
Headley had testified earlier that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had coordinated with each other for the attack. The ISI provided military and moral support to the group, he had alleged.
Indian charge sheet
Meanwhile, the Indian government sanctioned its National Investigation Agency in December 2011 to charge sheet nine people – including Headley, LeT’s founder Hafiz Saeed, al Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri and two serving Pakistan Army officers posted with the ISI – for plotting terror strikes in India, including the Mumbai attacks. It is the first time an Indian probe agency will name serving ISI officers - Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali - in a charge sheet.
Name of a retired Pakistani major, Abdul Rehman Hashim, will also be included in the charge sheet for allegedly setting set up the ISI’s ‘Karachi Project’ and training a number of Indian youth for carrying out attacks in India. The charge sheet will also be the first Indian ‘legal’ document mentioning the ‘Karachi Project.’
Published in The Express Tribune, February 13th, 2012.
COMMENTS (78)
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@Maoist: You forgot Armenians, Martians, Moon walkers, Native Americans, Chechen, Tamils, etc.
@Tony C.:
I saw there is ZERO recommendation count on your blog.
Just goes to show how there is no room for truth anymore , specially in such times.
All got to do with media , propoganda and exposure...
@Indian: a religiously guided society nation can never see sense. Pakistan is no exception in this. Thats why major nations delink religion from state matters.It is very easy to commit a crime under religion and hide behind the curtain. Thats why Pakistan will not saved even by the likes of Imran Khan.
@Ghaznavi: Is there any suspect in Samjahuta case identified by Pakistan so far ? Any material proof provided by Pakistan so far in Samjhauta blast ? None, right ? India is by herself solving the case and making arrest. Only thing I hear from you guys is "catch the samjhauta blast culprits" and you have some sort of weird fascination or wishful thinking that whole of BJP is involved, but have not so far provided even a "namesake" evidence on the case. Truth is Pakistan only had conspiracy theory and no clue on who did the Samjhauta blast. It was Indian agency which by itself went and caught the perpetrators and is still catching up with loose ends. Something which you guys do not have will to do so in catching the 26/11 even though there are "material proof" provided. Some of you still question Kasb's identity when your own government accepted him to be a Pakistani national. Such is a sense of denial and accepting that India is by far better than you in many aspect.
If one goes back 30 years, terror attacks were not so prevalent. Unfortunately, Russia invaded Afghanistan and the U.S. was anxious to make it Russia's Vietnam, which they did in spades. Among other things Mr. William Casey, in charge of the CIA, directed his staff to instruct the various militant groups such as Mujahideen, Al Qaeda and the Taliban very sophisticated terror techniques, and supplied them with equally sophisticated and deadly weaponry. They were quick learners and pushed the Russians out. At the same time millions of Afghans moved over the border into Pakistan to escape the mayhem. Move forward 30 years and the Pakistan Government still have these people, Militants and civilians alike, in and around the border area. The U.S. until recently were moving about 1,000 trucks per day through Pakistan/Afghanistan, a ready supply of deadly weaponry for the Militants to take possession of, and currently there are about 9,000 U.S. trucks full of military equipment, parked all over Pakistan. Now the Pakistan Government did not create this mess, but the place is full of Militants who were originally trained by the U.S. Government, have had 30 years to hone their military techniques, and have easy access to weaponry. The Pakistan Government is currently spending at least 19% of its budget to defend the country and counter the Militants attacks. The Government has my sympathy and I am glad I do not have their job.
@Ghaznavi
Not a very good excuse. How many heads rolled in India for this ‘slackness’ or what I call complicit behavior. NONE!!
Shivraj Patil was the Union Minister for Home. Vilas Rao Deshmukh was the CM of Maharashtra. Hasan Gafoor was the Commissioner of Police Mumbai, during 26/11.
Do find out what happened to them.
And peddle your lies elsewhere please.
@Ghaznavi: "Not a very good excuse. How many heads rolled in India for this ‘slackness’ or what I call complicit behavior. NONE!!"
Wrong. Unlike Pakistan where there was no accountability after Abbotabad, in India the federal home minister and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra both lost their jobs.
@Ghaznavi:
Just answer me how many Hindu-led Terror attacks have taken place in the last one year in India and compare with he multitude of Terror attacks in Pakistan. The answer will tell you the honesty with which India has investigated the Samjhota Blasts. It didn't have to, but it did and getting rewards.
Pakistan, the day it decides to fight all kinds of Terror without exception will get the same rewards.
That day for sure is never going to come.
@Akash: Dear Akash, We are really on the same wavelength, so if we can really find the instigators of the Mumbai incident, as well as the controlled patsies, fine. However, I doubt that anybody will get the controllers of the incident. In the meantime what I said, in regard to living together peacefully, still holds. Throwing racial barbs at each other, which is illegal in many countries, will not solve the problem.
@Ghaznavi: They had come within 18km of Mumbai by a fishing boat.The rest of the way was covered by dingy.There are hundreds of fishing boats between Karachi and Mumbai.Radar will not pick up a dingy so the only option is to visually sight its wake.I have never heard of a stealthy dingy.Maybe its produced in Pakistan.The dingy out board motors were Honda make and purchased from a dealer in Karachi through the serial numbers .This evidence was given by Pakistani investigators .The only thing India is guilty of is not taking advance warnings seriously and sleeping on the job.
@ Jagjit sidhoo
Not a very good excuse. How many heads rolled in India for this 'slackness' or what I call complicit behavior. NONE!! This shows how seriously you have taken the whole issue. And what about now, have you plugged in all the gaps, are you sure this type of event can not happen in the future?? Can your security agencies guarantee that?? I guess not!! Your security agencies are just fat cats and nothing else.!!
Whatever you Pakistanis say, we will see to it that the death of these innocents is accounted for. Will make our govt do whatever it takes to bring these people and their mentors in Pakistan to pay for this deed.
@kHURRAM MANSOOR The attackers were purportedly trained at sea near Thatta and had even made preparatory trips to Mumbai, unnoticed by the Indian navy, sources added. So the Indians were sleeping all along and now blaming others
Nothing much different about OBAMA Raid by Americans
@Ghaznavi: " You are talking about one of the most extensively manned, watched and monitored border of the world. India has to be complicit in this case" Just check this http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Coastal-security-cause-for-concern/Article1-774052.aspx. India is not complicit just SLACK
@Mirza: On first reading of your comment i to was surprised as it was not in keeping with your rational image but realized it was just sarcasm inline with our good friend Zaid Hamid .In this environment of gloom & doom retaining humor is something for which we do not need any help from the powers that be.
@ bruteforce
Your comment is negating itself. You say the planners executioners are in arrested and in jail; while the SUSPECTS are still being arrested. Word 'suspects' means they still need to be tried and convicted, even after 5 years of the Samjhota express tragedy. Even your own investigators say that they are still making their way down the 'rabbit hole' one things is for certain, that there are saffron terror outfits out there. There are people in your country who are killers and want to inflict damage. If you don't admit to it, you are buryying your head in the sand. As they say justice delayed is justice denied; Indians are complicit in denying justice and this is a case in point.
@Akash: Dear Akash, I hope you are not suggesting that Pakistanis are the bad guys who need to lift their game, and Indians are the good guys who are as pure as the driven snow.
@Niaz Ahmed: With 40000 dead first call off your jihad on Pakistan
@Tony C. The goodwill between Pakistan and India can start by bringing terrorists to book. I hope you are not suggesting India forget Mumbai 26/11.
@ James
Your mean to say that the infiltrators had the highest level of technology available only to a super power? Did Indians catch any stealth dingy that could not be detected by Indian security agencies?? Or were they moving around with invisible cloaks gifted by Harry Houdini?? Give me a break. You are talking about one of the most extensively manned, watched and monitored border of the world. India has to be complicit in this case. India's hands are not clean.
@gp65: Of course I was being sarcastic. Don't lose sense of humor please. I was repeating our lies and denials. Regards, Mirza
Lets declare open Jihad against India to save our interests and our Kashmi brother's interests.
Fomenting terrorism is like training snakes to do your bidding. We all know what happens in the end. The fate of a nation is being gambled away by forces that do not have the vision to see what is coming next. Don't think too many nations can lay claim to a similar story.
@Shahid: Solving the problem is not going to happen, because the Indian/Pakistani Governments are the problem. They are like a bunch of school boys who are constantly bickering in the playground. This has been going on since 1948 and really should stop. When are the two Government going to produce a plan so that they can get together and live in peace instead of informally implying that it is OK for young hot heads to create mayhem between the two. If anybody looks at the two countries, they are both cultured, have good economic systems and have so much in common. A critical look at the two shows that they are very close with very little separating them, except for religion, and with a little goodwill could start the stepping stones which would bridge the gap. It will take time, but they have to start sometime.
If you go to Wikipedia and search for 26/11, you will be directed to the page that details the 26/11 Mumbai attack. This page also lists the names of all the PAKISTANI Terrorists, along with their hometowns in Pakistan!
Both governments should work together to nail down the culprits of this horrendous crime. These criminals should be prosecuted and punished severely.
@Akbar: "Can we do a joint investigation of Samjhota Express as well?"
Samjahuta express occurred on Indian soil. Indian government is working on the case with full sincerity and several suspects are already in jail.Since the crime occurred in India and the criminals also were in India, it is unclear what a joint investigation would serve. On the other hand for 26/11 crime happened in India and the criminal masterminds are In Pakistan. So it is not possible to bring them to justice without Pakistan being sincere in doing its part to bring the criminals to justice. How many people are in jail in Pakistan for 26/11?
Stop establishing false equivalence between Samjhauta Express and 26/11
Stuff and nonsense. All we will ever really know is that there was a terrorist attack in Mumbia. We can guess who was really behind it. Pakistan and Indian personnel, who were involved, were merely the patsies. Lets stop denigrating each other and get a life. It seems fairly obvious that certain people wish to keep India and Pakistan off balance.
@Ghaznavi: If two helicopters can enter Pakistani air space undetected,attack and kill Osama in a military area and then fly back unharmed.Then its equally possible to enter Mumbai.The warships of so many countries are patrolling the coast of Somalia,yet piracy is still continuing
@Akbar: @Someone:
The planners and executers of the Samjhota Express blasts were arrested and are in jail now.
Just yesterday this very newspaper reported one more arrest.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/335504/india-arrests-key-suspect-in-samjhauta-express-blast/
All this without Pakistan sending any dossiers or asking for a joint investigation. The investigation is done by Hindus for the killing of Muslims. This is an example of honour and honesty. India did not wait for Pakistan to push for an investigation it did it all on its own.
Since, then not a single incidence of Hindu Terror has taken place in India!!! How many bomb blasts and killings happen every week in Pakistan?
@Spud:
Dude, Don't get all wrapped around the axle. It was joke by Mizra!
@John B, yeah just coz it reminds you of musharraf phone call it means ISI was behind the attacks in mumbai lolol give me a break.
@Roflcopter: I hope this glee is not directed at the people who lost their family members in this senseless attack.
@Bhindi Eater: Go to www.pbs.org and search for Frontline and watch the entire story on Mumbai attacks. There is a live conversation recording between the attackers in Mumbai and the handlers in Pakistan which the intelligence agency(Indian?) intercepted and pieced together.
It reminded me of the Musharaff phone call from China to the base commander in operation of Kargil.
@Rehman, Wait for real evidence before being ashamed ;) and trust me, Indians don't have any evidence.
**Pakistanis are thinking 26/11 as a bollywood story. They should remember one thing that thousands of pakistani citizens were killed and are being killed every month by terrorist in the same bollywood story way..
Better wakeup and punish the culprits before your or your own children or family member's turn comes.**
@Californian:
Why are you addressing "Pakistanis" in your blog ?
And why do you use the word "Holy War" when addressing Pakistanis ?
Are you trying to imply something without directly saying it ?
A terrorist is a terrorist.
They have no religion , no family , no nationality .... all because they have no morality.
If there is any terrorist in USA who promoted terror in Pakistan ( eg CIA ) then they should be punished.
Similarly if there is ANY terrorist in Pakistan responsible for terror in India , he should ( and will) be punished.
AS SIMPLE AS THAT
As a Pakistani I feel deeply ashamed that our country sanctioned the killings of innocent human beings in Mumbai. I can sense the outrage of Indians. I want to assure the Indian participants on this forum that many Pakistanis like me are also tired our military's dangerous meddling in India.
There were thousands of people watching the action live all over Pakistan...it was all over TV! lol what jokers.
@ahsan:
Why would Pakistan be given access to Ajmal Kasab? No government , nobody in their right mind would give Pakistan access to this Pakistani ' jewel' who was caught red handed. And secondly what does that empty slogan ' long live pakistan' have to do with this? There is absolutely no connection! This proves you have the mind of an immature delinquent.
so is pakistaan. .....for sale
How can 11 armed men infiltrate through one of the world's highest alert maritime borders, reach the city of Mumbai when fishermen get arrested for drifting couple of miles into Indian seas??
How can 11 men play carnage in the biggest city of India for 3 days with thousands of police, paramilitary and military personnel??
Sounds like a story from a bollywood flick.
I am sure Indians are not complacent where Pakistan is concerned, so they have to be complicit in this case.
india and its chankyan tricks, lie with such confidence that people start believing it. we reject india's propaganda and their bollywodized investigation. how many times india has changed their findings.
1) the terrorist made preparatory trips before the incident, wow what a navy. 2) "The planners not only watched the terror unfold via cameras carried by the attackers"... please elaborate which technology would have been used. video conferencing through mobile?? was there 3G coverage on the site then? did you find any smartphone(any at that time) with them if yes, was it mentioned among other items found (toothpaste, washing powder, biscuits etc) or were they carrying wireless camera, portable wifi router (battery backed) with wireless mesh connectivity?? on the move?? were they filming or firing??? wow... give us such jokes and then say, we deny.
@BruteForce: Yeah right Bruteforce ...you were there when the Indian government gave access to Ajmal...Indians have always betrayed. You yourself are doing attrocities in kashmir and once they do some thing against ur SO CALLED Democracy, India starts blaming Pakistan.
I have a question if your intelligence is so strong that within 24 hours after the attack they found all the proves against Kasab than WHY DIDNT THEY STOP them....
Half or more than half of pakistani commentators are in total denial mode and try to blame RAW/Mossad/CIA combine for whatever it is worth. I dont know whether they want to increase the number of comments or are brain dead. The indian commentators are going to overboard to refute all the lies of pakistani commentators. Waste of time. You cant wake a guy up when he is pretending to be asleep.
@kHURRAM MANSOOR: sure. I like your philosophy. Don't blame the thief. Blame the person who left his door unlocked. So don't blame JUD Hafeez for sending terrorists to attack Mumbai but blame indias incompetence in not stopping them. Let's take your "philosophy" blame the Pakistan governments incompetence for the death of Pakistan army killed by NATO. You get the picture? I doubt it.
@Mirza: "But Ajmal was not even a Pakistani and Pakistan had nothing to do with this attack?"
I take it that you were being sarcastic? I have read many of your other posts and you always have reasonable things to say. If you actually meant this statement i.e. it was not sarcasm, I would be very disappointed.
@Moise: Good one dude.. you know what i mean ;)..50++.. ;)
Until and unless India brings to justice the Hindu terrorists behind the deadly Samjhauta Express bombings and sends those terrorists to the gallows, I frankly don't give a hoot about this investigation.
I told u before.. i tell u again. this is a saazish. the zioinst israel is behind this. do tauba. stay alert. labaik labaik
@kHURRAM MANSOOR:
Just because the police were sleeping Murderer cannot claim he did no wrong!!
@ahsan:
Pakistan Govt was offered to send a legal counsel to Ajmal Kasab, but Pakistan refused. Kasab even sent many letters to the Pakistani Govt asking for legal help, but Pakistan did not respond. They could have got uninterrupted, unlimited access. But, they refused, knowing fully well that if they did extend that legal support it would mean much embarrassment in the International Community.
Asking now for access is meaningless. The trial is over and judgement is out. it only shows your denial asking for meaningless things and denying justice to the victims of the attack.
Not even one Pakistani is commenting in the positive sense..... and they want good relation... I see no hope for Pakistan... They will always deny even though their existence is at stake.
Yesterday only, we have arrested one person in samjhauta blast.. then pakis were very happy.. But now everyone is silent... Hypocrites !!!
@ahmed: How i wish people with your thinking were in a majority that would be so good for everyone with Pakistan the biggest beneficiary
KARMA - Pakistan will do well to remember a particular very costly incident that occurred in Karachi later on. Note: No civilians, women and children were targeted.
The next one, if it occurs, will invite a exemplary devastating response.
@Ahsan: It is people like you who give a bad name to your country and your people. Do you think that your FIA is controlled by India and USA? More likely your own mind and soul are controlled by satanic mullahs.
The attackers were purportedly trained at sea near Thatta and had even made preparatory trips to Mumbai, unnoticed by the Indian navy, sources added.
So the Indians were sleeping all along and now blaming others
Christ and Buddha said that hate destroys self. If Pakistani state has to survive it has to move away from the hate, insecurity based agenda and towards a path of mutual co-operation with India.
Else, it will drown in its own vicious poison.
@Mirza: It is a lie to say that Ajmal is not a Pakistani. This what Pakistan has always done to deny deny and deny. You are all liars.
Very very old and proven TRUTH. India was answered by rallies held in public by the organisers of 26/11, so, India should not expect anything in terms of action against those culprits.
Come on guys ! Is anyone in Pakistan surprised? But the damage these kinds of reports are doing to Pakistan's already low credibility will only be felt in a few years. Hafiz and his cohorts do don't deserve to walk free.
We are most favored and peaceful nation/country in the world. We don't have any issue whatsoever with any country, beliefs or religion etc etc etc or are we the only on this planet earth who are not only fighting with each other in its own country so what to say or talk about what takes place outside our boundaries. Just imagine, now a "New Product" has been launched by the name of Difa-e-Pakistan who are in fact the ones who brought us to this stage where every citizen of our country is considered if not full-time-terrorist but semi-terrorist (like-minded).
Not even once Ajmal was given access to meet anybody from Pakistan,other side of the story will be known to the God only.USA/India is making all out joint efforts by daily releasing sensational stories about our involvements in every dirty matter of the world.LONG LIVE PAKISTAN.At least these two world biggest champions of democracies know OUR WORTH.
Good job Chidambaram! Since he has taken over, we've seen terrorist attacks being investigated and terrorists brought to justice. Also many plots uncovered before any damage! I think he is the only genuinely performing Minister in India......
The third paragraph in the article above "Pakistani and Indian investigation agencies have found as many as 35 people to be involved in the siege at landmarks in India’s financial capital while Indian authorities have been able to trace the exact location of the ‘base camp’ of the attack in Karachi, sources added, while discussing a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) report on the attacks. According to the report, available with The Express Tribune, these terror suspects provided logistic and financial support to the gunmen who carried out the attack. tells the whole story. Pakistan's FIA clearly admitted that terrorist acts against innocent people were carried out from Pakistan, and were likely organized by well equipped agencies. How long can Pakistanis continue to claim innocence? Right, you were never personally shown the dead bodies of women and children who died in your "HOLY" war, just like you never personally witnessed the killing of Osama bin Laden. Any wonder that Pakistan and Pakistanis are shunned all over the world?
Nations are equally subject to the principles of Karma and consequences for all actions.
Good work !! These people are not only threat to India but also to pakistan.(.People like hafeej saeed are threat to pakistan in the ideological sense:- in the long term context).
Pakistani people should support action against these elements who are giving the country a bad name.. Certainly, they are not in the majority....
Pointless. Pakistanis will deny deny deny, as they always do when caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
But Ajmal was not even a Pakistani and Pakistan had nothing to do with this attack?
India will release the evidence as a Bollywood movie. In old days it was called propaganda, now it is called manufacturing consent. Shame on newspapers who peddled Indian propaganda.
In my opinion,no one in Pakistan, who is directly involved in planning and execution of the attack, will ever be punished. They are protected by the agencies. If that were not the case , the culprits would have 'disappeared' , Baluchistan style. India is just wasting time and resources if it thinks Pakistan will prosecute and punish Hafeez-Saeed of Difa-e-Pakistan or the ISI officers working under the army command.
Indian youth? why didn't we hear about them before?