Lahore attack: Pak clean chit to Lashkar, JUD; blames foreign hand

Admitting that the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers was a "complete security lapse," a report on the incident by Pakistani authorities has blamed "some foreign countries" for the audacious strikes, while giving a clean chit to outlawed terror groups -- LeT and JuD.  

The attack was planned and financed by "some foreign countries" and militants based in the restive South Waziristan tribal region might have been used by the perpetrators, Dawn newspaper quoted the report as saying.  The 40-point report, which was presented by Interior Ministry Chief Rehman Malik to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani yesterday, has pulled up senior police officer for not being able to arrest any of the 12 terrorists involved in the attack.  

The police force did not reach the scene of the assault for at least half an hour and a "complete security lapse" gave a free hand to terrorists to carry out the attack and , the report notes.  The report has not yet been made public by the government and there was no official word on the development.  

Sources said the report would be reviewed by all intelligence and security agencies before it is shared with the Sri Lankan government.

According to the report, police have so far arrested only five persons who had allegedly helped the terrorists.  A white car believed to have been used in the attack and impounded by police was sold in Sialkot and had been brought to Lahore for the assault, the report said.  The TV channel quoted the report as saying that no evidence had been found of the involvement of the Lashkar-e-Taiba or its front organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah.  

Eight persons were killed and over 20 others, including seven players and a coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team, were injured when a dozen heavily armed terrorists targeted a bus taking the players to a stadium in the heart of Lahore on March 3.