No headway in Pakistan; FBI looks to India for early trial

New Delhi, Mar 29 (PTI) After failing to make headway in
Pakistan on its probe in the Mumbai terror strikes, the FBI
team is working overtime with Indian investigators and legal
officials to expedite the trial in a bid to put pressure on
Islamabad to take action against genuine culprits.

A US team, which arrived here on March 24, has been
holding consultations with investigators and legal officials,
who were specially flown from Mumbai to finalise the details
of deposition of FBI officials who carried out the probe in
the 26/11 attack, official sources said Sunday.

The US team asked prosecutors for the Mumbai police to
work out dates for deposition of FBI sleuths including those
who had deciphered the technical elements in the case and
satellite phone links establishing clear links with Pakistan.

During the discussions, the FBI team informed the Indian
investigators that its team in Pakistan had so far not been
able to make any headway as the Islamabad regime was not able
to provide full support in probing the case.

The arrest of Mazhar Iqbal made by Pakistan in
connection with 26/11 had not yielded any results as the
FBI and Indian investigators found him as the weakest link in
the case, the sources said.

The FBI informed the Indian authorities for expeditious
trial so that pressure could be exerted on Pakistan globally,
the sources said.

The FBI team comprising law officials will also finalise
its own chargesheet besides working on logistics for its
officials to appear before a special court holding the Mumbai
attack trial.

The FBI team held discussions with investigators who had
probed the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes and intercepted
telephonic conversation between Lashker-e-Taiba militants and
their handlers in Pakistan.

The visit was aimed at helping the FBI finalise its own
chargesheet in the case, which it will submit before the US
courts. As per US laws, the FBI has to probe the death or
torture of any American citizen outside the US and submit a
chargesheet. Six US nationals and a British national lost
their lives in the Mumbai attacks.

The US agency taken a certified copy of chargesheet filed
by Mumbai Police in connection with the case and statements of
the witnesses.

India and the US share a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty
(MLAT) which came into effect on December three, 2005.

Mumbai Police had earlier obtained "crucial evidence"
from FBI that points that the plot to execute the 26/11 terror
attack was hatched in Pakistan. PTI SKL
SAK