The country’s premier external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has stressed upon the PMO and the Cabinet Secretariat to engage Pakistan on the issue of 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind, Zakiur Rehman
Lakhvi, still being active from jail. Lakhvi, a top commander of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, was arrested by Pakistan for plotting one of the worst terror strikes in India.
Even as reports have now appeared in a section of the media about Western intelligence agencies having concrete proof, through cellphone interceptions between Lakhvi and his LeT contacts, in fact, the RAW had submitted a detailed dossier to the PMO and the Cabinet Secretariat on the issue in August. The RAW report went a step further than the Western intelligence agencies and even gave details of not only of Lakhvi’s phone interceptions but also certain emails between Lakhvi and his contacts. The report had mentioned that both Indian and a Western intelligence agency had been sharing information on the issue.
Lakhvi, sources revealed, has been using a “false identity” of Muzammil alias Ahmed while communicating with his cadres from the high-security cell at Rawalpin-di’s Adiala Jail. The RAW inputs clearly stated that Lakhvi’s intercepts were extremely important as he was heard directing his cadre to step up violence in the Kashmir Valley.
In one of the conversations, Lakhvi is heard telling one of the commanders Abu Hafeez to increase attacks on security forces in Gurez sector. Abu Hafeez, sources added, also appears to be a code name for an LeT operative. “These intercepts assume significance since Lakhvi is lodged in the Adiala Jail along with five other top Lashkar operatives, including Abu Alqama and Abu Kahfa. Sitting in jail these people are controlling the entire jehadi factory of the LeT,” a senior intelligence official said.