12 yrs since 26/11, Pak fails to nab 19 Lashkar terrorists

Lahore, November 26

Twelve years after the 26/11 attack, Pakistan has placed 19 members of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in a list of the “most wanted terrorists” for their role in the heinous assault, but it has not initiated any serious efforts to nab them and also punish seven others who are facing trial.

The security agencies here are clueless about the whereabouts of these 19 most wanted terrorists. Some of them have been hiding in Pakistan and others are believed to have fled the country. These terrorists were either crew members of the boats used by the attackers or financiers of the 26/11 attack.

The move to place 19 LeT terrorists on the list apparently came following the Paris-based global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog’s recent decision to retain Pakistan on its grey list till February 2021.

The Financial Action Task Force made the decision after Islamabad failed to fulfil its six key obligations, including failure to take action against two of India’s most wanted terrorists – Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammed head Masood Azhar.

The security agencies have prepared a list of over 1,200 most wanted/high profile terrorists in Pakistan to enable more coordination among authorities to go after them, officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said.

The FIA, Pakistan’s top investigating agency, has been probing the Mumbai terror attack case since 2009 and is looking for the 19 “most wanted terrorists” involved in the deadly terror assault that sent shockwaves across the country and even brought India and Pakistan to the brink of a war.

In November 2008, 10 LeT terrorists sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 persons and injuring over 300. Lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged after trial in India. — PTI

With India, says US

Washington: The US said it was committed to holding the perpetrators of the heinous 26/11 terror attack accountable to ensure justice for the victims. “Through the Rewards for Justice programme, we seek to ensure that all those responsible for this heinous attack face justice,” US State Department deputy spokesman Cale Brown said on Wednesday. PTI

Counter-terrorism centre in london

London: UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced to set aside millions of pounds to establish a "world-leading" Counter Terrorism Operations Centre (CTOC) based in London. PTI

Israelis pay tribute

Jerusalem: Israelis on Thursday held ceremonies to pay respects to the 26/11 victims, demanding perpetrators be brought to justice. PTI