Agreed Indo-Pak Joint Anti Terror Mechanism under “Cross Border Terror” Shadow

By Animesh Roul

Recently agreed joint anti terror mechanism between Indian premier Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf on the sideline of Non-Aligned summit at Havana in Sept. 2006, is going to face the first litmus test when New Delhi will present a list of Pakistani nationals suspected to be involved in July 11 Mumbai serial blasts with related evidence.

After two and a half months of investigations India's security agencies claimed to have cracked the case and found Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Lashkar e Toiba’s involvement in Mumbai terror attacks. According to the investigation report, they have perpetrated the act by colluding with local recruits and with cadres of banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). ISI has spent Two million Indian rupees for executing 7/11 blasts in Mumbai, claims investigating officers and Azam Cheema, LeT's commander in Pakistan's Bahawalput district, is suspected to be the mastermind behind the conspiracy.

Out of eleven Pakistani nationals directly involved in the Mumbai serial blasts, two are believed to be dead and rests are still at large, may be fled to Pakistan or Nepal.

Delhi police earlier claimed that at least 37 Pakistani nationals funded terror operations in India, including Oct. 29, 2005 Delhi market blasts. Money comes through foreign remittances and Hawala networks (in US Dollars and Saudi Arabian Riyals ) and sent to Delhi blast accused Tariq Ahmed Dar's, a LeT operative, accounts. The chargesheet revealed that the flow of funds from Pakistan was controlled by one Abu Ozefa, a Pakistani and divisional commander of the LeT, who was killed in Kashmir this January.

Indian agencies are probing any possible links of these terror finances with July 11 blasts.

The rejection from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Oct. 2 does not come as surprise when he said ‘it (India) has a history of leveling such allegations.’ However, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri indicated later that his country will cooperate with India.

It is common knowledge now that Pakistan’s territory has been used by Islamic terror groups to fight in India, Afghanistan and Middle East. This observation no more needs substantial evidence. Most recently, Afghan intelligence service indicated that many would-be suicide bombers detained in Afghanistan claim they have been brainwashed and equipped by Arab, Chechen and Uzbek militants in Pakistan. Neverthless, Pakistan has denied everytime about the existence of terrorist training facilities on its soil.

Presumably, Pakistan under no circumstance would hand over any terror suspects to India. Although it has been promising to take action against them, if evidences are convincing and sufficient, it failed to make even an arrest in the past (the biggest example was Dawood Ibrahim).

India would like to get Azam Cheema along with his cohorts for trial or further investigation. Of course, it all now lies on Pakistan's response to the evidence regarding its involvement in the Mumbai blasts which will prove the sincerity in controlling cross-border terrorism in the subcontinent and commitment to any bilateral (no matter moral or legally binding) instruments.

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