Pak's 26/11 report today

Cases may be filed against five Pakistanis, including Kasab.

Pakistan today said it would examine the findings of its probe into 26/11 tomorrow as the media here reported that the government would file cases against five Pakistanis, including lone captured terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab, for planning the Mumbai attacks.

The interior ministry’s report also states that the attacks were planned not in Pakistan or India but in a European country, Geo News channel quoted sources as saying.

The conspirators kept in touch by using the internet, the sources said.

The sources also said that cases would be filed against five Pakistanis, including Kasab, the lone attacker arrested by Indian authorities, for planning the Mumbai attacks.

Action will be taken against them in the country according to Pakistani laws and access to Kasab will be sought to identify his Indian ‘associates’, the sources said.

The Pakistan government has not formally stated so far whether it would seek consular access to Kasab though it has acknowledged that he is a Pakistani national.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today said the government would finalise its response to the Indian dossier after the report was presented tomorrow.

“There is an important meeting of the DCC (Defence Committee of the Cabinet) tomorrow. The report (on the Mumbai attacks) will be presented before the Committee and after studying it, we will give our views,” Gilani told reporters at Multan in Punjab province.

He refused to comment further on the Mumbai attacks, saying Pakistan was still investigating the incident.

The law ministry has vetted a report on the Mumbai attacks prepared by the interior ministry and forwarded it to the Prime Minister’s Office. The Defence Committee of the Cabinet comprises key ministers and the three service chiefs.

An earlier report in the Dawn newspaper had said that Pakistani investigators had found a Bangladeshi link to the Mumbai incident as the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami was involved in planning and carrying out the attacks.

Gilani also said Pakistan enjoyed the support of the world community and its diplomacy and foreign policy were “strong enough to defeat Indian designs” to isolate the country.

Asked about comments by Indian leaders about having Pakistan declared a terrorist state, he said this was “wishful thinking”. Pakistan’s “prudent diplomacy and foreign policy will not allow India to succeed in its designs,” he said.

Responding to a question about the forthcoming visit of US Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, Gilani said terrorism was a regional issue and should be tackled at the regional level.