Squarely blaming Pakistan for its role in 26/11, home minister P. Chidambaram said Friday Lashkar-e-Tayyaba founder Hafiz Saeed was present in the “control room” in Pakistan along with key handler Abu Jundal directing the 10 terrorists.
Pakistan maintains Saeed had no role in 26/11 and has refused to take action against him so far. Terming Jundal’s arrest a major development in the 26/11 case, Mr Chidambaram said his interrogation clearly established a “control room” to monitor the attack was set up in Pakistan with “state support”. The home minister said: “We think such a control room could not have been established without some kind of state support.” On the presence of others, he said: “Yes, others were present. We think one of them was Hafiz Saeed.”
Mr Chidambaram said Jundal will help put together missing pieces in the 26/11 conspiracy. “He was a key operative, assigned the key responsibility of putting the 10 terrorists in intensive training and (on) customs followed by Mumbaikars. He was the key person who briefed the 10 persons including (Ajmal) Kasab, and he had an important role in the control room,” he said.