19 February,2009 06:30 PM IST | | PTI
Top Lashker-e-Taiba operatives, including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, arrested yesterday for their links to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks by Pakistani authorities, were on Thursday remanded by an anti-terrorism judge to police custody for 14 days.
With this, the total number of suspects remanded to the custody of law enforcement agencies has gone up to four. LeT activist Hamad Amin Sadiq, described by Pakistani officials as the "main operator" behind the attacks, was remanded to custody of the Federal Investigation Agency on Monday.
Though interior ministry chief Rehman Malik had announced the detention of the three men - -- along with other suspects on February 12, police officials told the judge that they were only arrested yesterday in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
Police charged the three LeT operatives with conspiracy and facilitating and collaborating in the attacks. Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and Abu Al Qama were produced before an anti-terrorism court judge who remanded them to police custody for a fortnight, TV channels quoted court and government officials as saying.
Police told the judge that they needed custody of Lakhvi, Shah and Qama in order to recover some explosives from the suspects. The judge granted custody for further interrogation and investigation.
Malik had said last week that two more suspects had been detained by Pakistani authorities though their legal status and whereabouts are currently unknown.
The spokesmen for the interior ministry and other concerned departments have refused to speak on the status of Pakistan's probe into the Mumbai attacks, saying they had been asked by their higher-ups not to comment on the issue.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Latif Khosa told reporters that Pakistan could seek custody of Ajmal Amir Qasab, the lone terrorist captured by India for the Mumbai incident, through Interpol only if a court issued an order in this regard.
Khosa said if the Pakistani police and prosecution named Qasab as one of the suspects in their chargesheet, the court could then issue an order for him to be produced before it.
But if the police said Qasab cannot be produced as he is outside Pakistan, the court could then secure his custody through Interpol, he said.
LAST The attorney general acknowledged that Qasab is an important suspect and his presence will make the prosecution's case "very strong".
He also said if India provides more evidence, it will be easier for the Pakistani prosecution to prove cases against suspects detained within the country. Deputy Attorney General Sardar Mohammad Ghazi had sparked a controversy yesterday by claiming that Pakistan had formally sought custody of Kasab from India.
The Foreign Office clarified that no formal request had been made so far. Ghazi, who was yesterday appointed special public prosecutor for the prosecution of suspects detained in Pakistan, later said authorities were considering a proposal to seek custody of Qasab.
