Pak let key 26/11 operative slip away after quizzing him: Jundal

Around a fortnight after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Pakistani army authorities had allegedly detained and questioned its key planner, trainer and controller Sajid Majeed alias Wassi alias Sajid Mir — the then chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)’s India operations — in Islamabad but later released him.

The disclosure was made to Indian security authorities by Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal — an LeT operative, who was deported from Saudi Arabia and was one of the seven 26/11 Mumbai attacks’ handler along with Majeed.

Pakistani national Majeed was also the alleged handler of American David Coleman Headley and had provided financial and logistic help to him for conducting surveillance of the targets for the Mumbai attacks, according to Interpol’s Red Corner Notice that was issued against him on the request of Indian authorities.

“According to Zabiuddin’s revelations seven LeT conspirators - Sajid Majeed, Abu Qahafa, and Zaqiur Rehman Lakhvi, including himself had orchestrated the 26/11 Mumbai attacks from a specially set-up control-room at Malir in Karachi. They had then fled to the outfit’s Baitul Mujahideen camp at Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) on November 30, 2008. It was there that they got the confirmation that one of the 10 suicide attackers they had sent to Mumbai, Ajmal Kasab, had been arrested,” a security agency source said.

In December, 2008, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency had raided the Muzaffarabad camp and arrested Lakhvi, Mujammil, Abu Al Qama and Zarar, but Majeed, Qahafa and Zabiuddin, an Indian national had managed to escape.

“Thereafter, Zabiuddin,Qahafa and Majeed had shifted to another local camp at Chela Bandi in Muzzaafarabad,” the source said.. After some days, Pakistani army authorities called Majeed and Qahafa to Islamabad and they were interrogated. Both were however released later,” the source added. While Majeed is absconding, Pakistani authorities later nabbed Qahafa.