New Delhi,Feb. 25: India on Thursday handed over three dossiers to Pakistan containing the name of a serving Pakistani officer, referred to as Major Iqbal, and 33 terrorists, including LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, believed to be the mastermind of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai.
India has given a separate dossier on alleged Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) leader Ilyas Kashmiri. The dossiers were handed over during the India-Pakistan foreign secretary talks with the demand that they be handed over and other effective action be taken.
The serving Pakistan Army officer is suspected to be involved in the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. The names of two Pakistani officers, including a retired officer who is also a major, figure in the list of Pakistanis whom India suspects were involved in the 26/11 terror strike. The two officers have been referred to as "Major Iqbal" and "Major Samir Ali", sources said. Both "Major Iqbal" and "Major Samir Ali" are accused of providing training and financial help to the 26/11 attackers. "Basically they were the handlers of the terrorists who stormed Mumbai," sources said. India has also demanded access to Pakistani terrorists Sajid Mir and Rehan Abdullah, amongst others.
India wants Pakistan to take action against these men and then hand them over to India. The role of "Major Iqbal" is believed to have been revealed during the interrogation of US-based LeT terror suspect David Headley, arrested by the FBI in Chicago in September 2009 in connection with the Mumbai attack. The first dossier contains the names of eight persons involved in the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, of which five are wanted and three are suspects.
A separate dossier has been given to Pakistan on Ilyas Kashmiri, who has been indicted by the FBI in the US on two counts of conspiracy relating to the Denmark terrorism plot. The US agency has termed Ilyas Kashmiri as the alleged leader of an influential terrorist organisation leader in Pakistan believed to be in regular contact with leaders of Al Qaeda. Kashmiri had allegedly been in regular touch and imparting instructions to Headley, who has been indicted by the FBI for his role in plotting the 26/11 attack.
Another dossier given by India says Pakistan is providing sanctuary to Indian Mujahideen militants and Khalistani supporters. This dossier demands handing over of seven Khalistani militants and 17 Indian Mujahideen terrorists, including five Pakistani nationals, for their role in subversive activities in India. India wants Pakistan to hand over top IM terrorists Riaz Bhatkal and Asif Raza in connection with the Pune blasts, sources said. Meanwhile, four of the seven Khalistani militants have been identified as Jagtar Singh Hawara, alias Tara; Ranjeet Singh, alias Neeta; Harminder Singh and Lakhvinder Singh, alias Rody.
Age Correspondent