New Delhi, Jan 03
Lashkar-e-Tayiba operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of Mumbai attack was on Saturday reportedly arrested in Pakistan on terror financing charges, an official said. The move by Pakistan comes ahead of the forthcoming meetings of the Financial Action Task Force in January 2021.
Pakistan has been under immense pressure by the global monitors. A top India official tells media that this appears to be a routine exercise. In Pakistan, such persons are arrested ahead of possible international action. We do not read much into this and there appears to be no seriousness by Pakistan to curb the terror menace. These are just showcase actions, the official said. Lakhvi, who was on bail since 2015 in the Mumbai attack case, was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). However, the CTD did not mention his place of arrest.
“Following an intelligence-based operation conducted by the CTD Punjab, proscribed organisation LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was arrested on charges of terrorism financing,” it said. Pakistan has failed to act on the six important action items stipulated by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), India had said in October last year. India further accused Islamabad of aiding and abetting cross border terrorism, smuggling of arms and narcotic substances. New Delhi also said that Pakistan has been using drones and quad-copter to facilitate smuggling. It is understood that Pakistan has addressed only 21 action items so far out of total 27 point FATF Action Plan. Six important action items are yet to be addressed. As is well known, Pakistan continues to provide safe havens to terrorist entities and individuals and has also not yet taken any action against several terrorist entities and individuals including those proscribed by the UNSC such as Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim, Zakir-ur-Rahman Lakhvi etc, Anurag Srivastava, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs said.
In not out of place to mention here that ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has admitted that Pakistan played a role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Speaking in an interview to Pakistan media Dawn, Sharif had said, “Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross-border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Why can’t we complete trial?”
The PML-N leader was questioning why the trial into the Mumbai attacks was stalled at a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court. “Why can’t we complete the trial? It’s absolutely unacceptable. This is exactly what we are struggling for. President Putin has said it. President Xi has said it,” he said. Widely condemned and known as 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the assault on the financial capital of India that last till Nov 29 had killed 174 people and 300 wounded. Attacks on Mumbai’s landmarks such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Hotel and Leopold Cafe left a deep scar in the hearts of every Indian. India has long accused Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks in Mumbai on 26 November, 2008.
