26/11 lead investigator in Pak does a u-turn: Here is why

New Delhi, Aug 10: When Tariq Khosa, the former lead investigator of the 26/11 attacks in Pakistan spoke about the involvement of his country, it sounded too good to be true. As expected, Khosa has gone about clarifying his stand and now says that the attack was carried out by non-state actors.

Pakistan has often used this word, "non-state actors," each time it has found itself cornered. Khosa's account of the 26/11 attack in an article written in the Dawn newspaper was not just revealing in terms of details, but also offered help to India which had always spoken about the role of the Paksitan establishment being behind the attack.

Khosa now says that his article never spoke about the involvement of Pakistani state elements. Instead he wrote that it was the non-state actors who were involved in the attacks. He accused the Indian media of twisting facts in his article which appeared in the Dawn newspaper on August 3.

"It is evident in the article that the terrorist attacks had been committed by non-state actors against whom a thoroughly professional investigation was carried out by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and they are being prosecuted by the state of Pakistan," he clarified. However, the complexities of proving a case of conspiracy were duly pointed out as his professional viewpoint, Khosa said.

What we know about the control room?

Khosa does refer to the control room in Karachi from where the 26/11 attacks were guided. He says that it is the non-state actors who were part of that control room and the Pakistan state had nothing to do with it. A key question that needs to be answered here is, how did the so called non-state actors manage to operate this control considering that it was set up in the heart of Karachi.

As per the investigating details available with India, the control room at Karachi was set up at the Malir area which is very close to the International airport. This is a prime area which is under the security of police officials.

Such a high-profile area could not have been used for three days in a row without the Pakistani establishment monitoring it. ISI officials and others in the Pakistani military were well aware of this and had intentionally suggested this venue so that apt security and surveillance could be provided to the terrorists who were guiding the attack.

Despite this if Pakistan claims that the control room was run by non-state actors in such a high profile area, then the country needs a desperate re-look at its own security measures.

What are non-state actors?

This is a term often used by Pakistan when it is blamed for any terror strike. On one hand it goes all out to protect the likes of Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and on the other hand it refers to their organization, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba as a body of non-state actors.

Non-state actors generally mean that they are working without the approval of the state.

However the world knows that the Lashkar is an asset for the Pakistan establishment. In fact theLashkar has been roped in by the Pakistan army to carry out charity work. They also use them to carry out strategic attacks on Indian soil everytime there is a need to derail peace talks or raise the Kashmir bogey.

Hence it seems to be a contradiction of sorts when the Lashkar is referred to as a non-state actor. Pakistan has created this monster and defends it to the hilt. However when there is an eye of suspicion on their terror related activities, the Lashkar is conveniently referred to as a non-state actor.

OneIndia News