In a major step forward by Indian intelligence in nailing Pakistan’s lie on aiding and abetting terror in this country, the Indian agencies have for the first time given Pakistan technical evidence against Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba foun-der Hafiz Saeed.
This evidence shared at the recent Islamabad meeting of the two home secretaries, top intelligence sources said, was in the form of phone intercepts where Saeed is heard talking to top Lashkar commanders like Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Abu Al Qama. Both Lakhvi and Qama are in a Rawalpindi jail for their involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The sources said the “highly sensitive phone conversations” were about stepping up terror activities in India. The Indian agencies got considerable help from Western intelligence agencies in getting the intercepts. Senior officials claim in the wake of this “concrete evidence” there is no doubt not only about Saeed’s involvement in terror activities, but also that he enjoys the full backing of the Pakistani establishment. This is perhaps why Saeed can be heard talking to jailed militants who have access to cellphones.
Pakistan has so far consistently maintained that India has not provided credible evidence against Saeed, and that the evidence will not suffice in a court of law. But the evidence handed this time might be hard to contest. “I think after what we have given Pakistan this time they cannot question either our evidence nor deny their involvement in terror activities,” a senior official said. He added that this was perhaps why Pakistan has consistently refused to provide voice samples of about a dozen accused persons arrested for the Mumbai terror attacks.
This time too Pakistan tried to duck under legal cover, arguing that under Pakistan Penal Code and the Act of Evidence only thumb impressions were admissible as evidence and not voice samples. It also claimed giving voice samples of the accused might adversely affect their case in court.
The NTRO cracked Lashkar’s use of “Voice Over Internet Protocol” to communicate with its men in India after Western intelligence tipoffs that Lakhvi and Qama were using VoIP to pass on messages to its cadres.