Pakistan to press for details on Abu Hamza
Pakistan will push India to share details of the recent arrest of a man allegedly linked with the 2008 Mumbai attacks when foreign secretaries of the two archrivals meet in New Delhi this week.
Indian national Sayeed Zabiuddin Ansari, who also uses the nom de guerre of Abu Hamza and Abu Jindal, was arrested by Indian authorities last month after reportedly being deported from Saudi Arabia.
He has been described as the ‘handler’ of the 10 gunmen who had carried out the assault on Mumbai’s landmarks on November 26, 2008, killing over 160 people.
Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram claimed that Abu Hamza had provided information confirming Pakistani ‘state support’ for the assault.
The two-day talks between foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India, beginning on July 4 in New Delhi, are expected to be dominated Abu Hamza’s arrest and subsequent claims by Indian authorities.
However, one Foreign Office official pointed out that Pakistan would ask India to share details of his arrest and investigations.
“India has yet not shared anything with us about this arrest,” the official said, adding that Pakistan had been saying from day one that the Mumbai attacks would not have been possible without help from Indian nationals.
“Our information is that there were at least 40 Indian nationals who helped the attackers,” he added. “We want India to come clean on this.”
The official also said that Indian authorities had always been reluctant to give ‘us the full picture’ of the investigations into the Mumbai attacks.
“When a Pakistani judicial commission visited India to collect evidence, it was stopped from cross-examining the witnesses,” he said.
The official maintained that Pakistan could take ‘decisive action’ if it was provided with details of the investigations. “We cannot act on hearsay.”
On the other hand, Indian authorities described the arrest of Abu Hamza as a major breakthrough.
The foreign secretaries in their two-day discussions are unlikely to discuss any new proposals related to the longstanding Kashmir dispute.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2012.
COMMENTS (28)
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@Sexton Blake:
"Unlike the American judicial system the Pakistan judicial system works."
I can't believe people in Pakistan can say that with a straight face! The same judicial system which hung a former PM(Bhutto), or recently took it upon itself to remove a sitting PM elected by the Parliament, or has given green signal to numerous Dictators to take over and even justified their stay in power you are talking about, correct?
I can't believe the amount of denial in some people.
@BruteForce: Dear BruteForce, Mr. Noam Chomski, an American philosopher, scientist, historian pointed out that if the Nuremburg trials were used to judge the legality of decisions made by politicians, every American President since WW11 would have been hanged. Why don't you get off Pakistan's back? Unlike the American judicial system the Pakistan judicial system works.
@BruteForce: America has rampaged around the world and killed several million people over the last few years, but the American judicial system is incapable of bringing any U.S. leader to book. Get used to it. This is the way the world is run.
Some Investigative Journalism for the Tribune +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pls go and dig out the passport application for Abu Hamza.
You will discover interesting details!
@Xiang Hu: China and Pakistan are the next super powers! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
@Protectors Of Pakistan: Whatever they do…. let them do … we will continue to come to india till the liberation of Kashmir. Inshallah
I would be inclined to salvage what is left of Pakistan, without getting carried away, as regards to Kashmir, keep dreaming and offer them mandate as it may shock you as to their decision too !
@Xiang Hu
Are you Chinese Pakistani, or Pakistani Chinese? Whatever, first try getting back Taiwan.
The facts are: India refused to give access to Kasab India refused Pakistani Judicial commission to interrogate key witnesses India refused to give real evidence which can be used in court of law India does not have any evidence which can identify and lead to the conspirators (if it had, it would have shared it with US and gotten USD 10 Mln on hafiz saeed)
Does India have anything to hide? Are they afraid that their entire case based on confessions by tortures, 'bogus' witnesses will be caught? India's hands are not clean and it shows.
@maestro: Before the Pakistan Judicial Commission had come to India, there was an agreement between the two countries that they will not meet Kasab.
I do not think we should get too excited over Abu Hamza's confession that he was working in league with Pakistan authorities. It may be that he was, but we will never know for sure. He has been in Indian hands for several days now, and one or two torture sessions would have ensured that he said whatever his Indian torturers wanted him to say. Similarly, the same thing happens if the CIA, MI6, SIS, or any other intelligence agency get their claws on some poor individual. Rumours continually abound, and there is probably some truth in them, bit I will not get too exited about them. One knows for sure that it is virtually impossible to believe what the various governments tell us, and this goes for Asia, Europe, America, Britain and its ex-colonies, and any other government. If a politicians lips are moving you can guarantee that he/she is telling lies. .
There is every chance that the information about 40 Indian nationals involved in Mumbai attacks is true. This information is reportedly provided by a close aide to a deposed minister who was in charge of the interior ministry. (Read the story in the Nation). The claim may be based on the number of fraudulent Pakistani passports issued to Indian nationals.
No wonder Green passports are feared everywhere around the globe !
@Protectors Of Pakistan: you are proving India right.
Mumabi attack cas is coming to an end with all the master players revealed. Pakistan is in denial mood. The poor civilian govt has no authority over the khaki boys. Itis the other way round. Otherwise how can a civilised govt allow terrorists like Hafeez Saeed freely roam and spit venom of jihad against India so publicly
LOL - to all my Indian friends - the Pakistan judicial commission which recently visited India was denied access to cross examine Kasab. Fact, Surjit Singh recently released from Pakistan from DEATH ROW says he was very well treated, came to Pakistan to spy for the Indian army, and is now pressing charges against the indian establishment for not supporting him during his imprisonment in Pak. Fact, Jundal is an INDIAN national! LOLSSSSS Who is the terrorist now mr. bollywood??
With all the evidence it has, it's high time Indian drones start taking out those on their wanted list. Enough is enough.
Even if India hands over all the evidence it has Pakistani judicial system is incapable of punishing them.
Name a single major anti-Pakistan Terrorist brought to justice. Even if they do put people in jail, Taliban promptly break down the jail walls and release them without even an appearance of resistance.
So, if they can't even bring to justice who harm their own country, realistically speaking its naive to expect them punish anti-India forces, a country considered a greater threat than even the Taliban!
India should do share as much info as needed so that Pakistan will not get a reason to not act on Terror.
Whatever they do.... let them do ... we will continue to come to india till the liberation of Kashmir. Inshallah
How about Pakistan try to find out who gave "Pakistani" passport, technically making him Pakistani citizen ?
This is a perfect case of "Ulta Chor Kotwaal ko dantay". How brazen.
Interesting that Pakistan will "push India to share details about Abu Hamza".Perhaps they shoudl share with India why they gave him a Pakistani passport and why they tried so hard to stop his extradition to India. They must have known what type of information he would reveal under interrogation otherwise there would be no reason to try to stop the extradition. And this attempt was not made at some lower levels but the highest levels of Pakistani leadership.
Mr Ansari is an Indian national. He was facilitaed to move to Pakistan. In pakistan the authorties gave him Pak passport and 2 other forms of identity. He moved to SA as a Pakistani national and Pakistan authorities tried their best to block his extradiction to India, using the same passports they had given him, by claiming he was a Pakistani national so should be extradicted to Pakistan ! Now one Pakistan foreign office official is quoted as saying "“Our information is that there were at least 40 Indian nationals who helped the attackers,” he added. “We want India to come clean on this.” May be there are 41 Indians involved and not just 40. Why don't you give India their names, details, what Pakistani passport they may have been given and where they are residing ? India would prosecute and punish all of them and would be grateful to Pakistan. There is anathor India national, Mr Fasih who is about to be extradicted to India from Saudi Arabia, for acts of terrorism in India. His story is similar. He too caries Pakistani passport, given to him by Pakistan.
TOI has reported that Pakistani agencies asked KSA not to send AbuHamza to India and two subsequent one as they are Pakistani citizens travelling on Pakistani passport. One assumes that if they are Pakistani passport holder than Pakistan muxt know all about them.
BTWPakistani agencies also argued in the Courts of Thailand that Chota Rajan's assitant was Pakistani passport holder and should not be sent to India. Both KSA and Thailand agreed with India and parcels were sent to India.
"details from India"? Haha -- why don't you just ask the ISI?
Would it not be better if we check with own Intelligence Agencies for the information rather than depending upon Indians?
Come clean India, you are fooling your neighbors.
Get real if you really want to resolve issues.
Let the Pakistan team cross-examine these witnesses. What is that you are covering?
You try the same tactics with us and we are not giving you any piece of Kashmir that we own.
China is the next world power, be prepared.