Pakistan receives Indian dossier on Mumbai attacks

Nov 18, 2009, 8:14 GMT

   Islamabad - India has provided Pakistan with more documents about the Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed more than 170 people almost a year ago, a Pakistani official said.

   India accuses Islamabad of not taking concrete steps against the Pakistan-based proscribed militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which it blames for the November 26-29 assaults that triggered a pause in peace talks between the nuclear-armed archrivals.

   'Indian Ministry of External Affairs handed over another dossier on Mumbai incident to our High Commission in New Delhi,' Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Abdul Basit said in a statement late Tuesday.

   Basit did not give details of the information contained in the documents.

   'Once received, the dossier will be forwarded to the Ministry of Interior for examination,' he said.

   Pakistan admitted early this year that the carnage was 'partly' planned on its soil and that the only surviving attacker, Ajmal Amir Qasab, was a Pakistani national.

   Qasab, who is facing trial in India on dozens of counts, has pleaded guilty. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death.

   New Delhi has long complained of slow progress on 'evidence' handed over to Pakistan, but officials in Islamabad describe the dossiers as mere 'information.'

   A Pakistani anti-terrorism tribunal is trying seven suspects, including alleged mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and LeT leader Zarar Shah.

   The court is scheduled to formally indict them on November 23, days before the first anniversary of the Mumbai attacks. The suspects received written copies of the charges against them and Qasab's confession earlier this week.