The 26/11 mastermind, an ISI asset who till date is treated as a VVIP in Pakistan

New Delhi, Nov 26: The Pakistan establishment's undying loyalty towards Lashkar-e-Tayiba chief, Hafiz Saeed has come to the fore again.

Saeed was sentenced to 10 years in jail by a Pakistan court, but reports said that he continues to enjoy VIP treatment. The Indian Intelligence agencies keeping a tab on Saeed have learnt that the Lashkar boss is serving jail time at home and not at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Karachi. It has however been said in the Pakistan media that he is at the Lahore jail, but the Indian agencies dispute that claim.

Sources tell OneIndia that the Counter-Terrorism Department officials are treating the mastermind of the Mumbai 26/11 attack as a VIP. He still roams in his SUV and is escorted by his aides, the report also said.

For long Saeed has been the ISI's top asset. He has never had a falling out with the ISI as he does as he is instructed. Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that he probably one of those very few terrorists, who has remained in the good books of the ISI for this long and has never turned rogue.

The IB official says that the VIP treatment being meted out to him comes as no surprise as he continues to be Paksitan's strategic asset. Moreover the ISI can manipulate Saeed the way they want and this was evident in Mumbai 26/11 attack. When the Lashkar-e-Tayiba was getting jittery and wanted to fight in Afghanistan, the ISI directed Saeed to tell his men to stay away and instead focus on major attacks in India. This is in fact contrary to the way in which Ilyas Kashmir, once a key asset of the ISI has behaved.

Now let us take the case of another important figure in the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi also a key player in the Mumbai attacks and Kashmir. When he was jailed owing to international pressure, he even managed to father a child in jail. This is a privilage that is not given to a deadly terrorist, accused of killing 100s of people.

On November 29, 2012, India posed a question to Pakistan about Lakhvi having become a proud father. When he was arrested in 2009 for the 26/11 there was no mention of him being a father of a new born child. However, in the year 2010. while he was still in jail, he announced the good news to several of his accomplices including Abu Jundal.