NEW DELHI (TIP): India has conveyed toPakistan its “strong concern” on grant ofbail to key Mumbai attack handler ZakiurRehman Lakhvi, saying the release willmake a mockery of Pakistan’s commitmentto fight terror groups without hesitationand without making distinctions.”Despite repeated assurances that havebeen received, we have seen both theprosecution of the seven accused in theAnti-Terror Court in Islamabad, as also theinvestigation by the authorities into thelarger conspiracy surrounding the Mumbaiattack case, proceeding at a glacial pace.”The story of repeated postponements,adjournments and unavailability ofconcerned law officers or witnesses is welldocumented and does not requirerepetition. The move to grant bail to ZakiurRahman Lakhvi yesterday has taken thissaga to another level,” official spokesman inthe External Affairs Ministry SyedAkbaruddin said.”We have, therefore, forthwithcommunicated to Pakistan throughdiplomatic channels our strong concerns onthis matter and the sentiments across thespectrum of Indian society that that thiswill make a mockery of Pakistan’scommitment to fight terror groups withouthesitation and without makingdistinctions,” the spokesman said.Lakhvi is among the seven Pakistaninationals accused of planning and abettingthe brazen terror attack in Mumbai onNovember 26, 2008 that left 166 dead,including foreigners.In a sharp reaction to the bail granted to54-year-old UN-designated terrorist by aRawalpindi court, New Delhi had yesterdaytold Islamabad that there could be noselective approach to terrorism,emphasising that it should realise that nocompromise can ever be made withterrorists.

Lakhvi was involved in every stage of 26/11

Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operationscommander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, whogot bail from a Pakistani court onDecember 18, was involved in every stageand aspect of the 26/11 terror attacks inMumbai.Right from recruiting and planning toselecting targets, overseeing and executingthe carnage from November 26 to 29, 2008,Lakhvi handled the whole operation.Intelligence agencies and the CrimeBranch-CID of the Mumbai Police havepieced together his role. Mohammed AjmalKasab, the lone terrorist who was caught,had also revealed the role of his “mentor”in his confessional statements.Lakhvi’s name figures second in the listof 35 wanted, after Hafeez MohammadSaeed alias Hafiz alias Hafiz saab, thefounder of Jamaat-ud-Dawa. Lakhvi is thechief operations commander of the LeTknown to be one of the “best trainers” inthe field of terrorism.He has a team of sharpshooters, mapreaders, communication experts andphysical trainers. His main trainers areZarar Shah, Abu al Qama Abu Qahafa, AbuHamza, Muzammil alias Yousuf andIbrahim alias Ali. They were involved intraining the 10 terrorists who carried outthe attacks.Another of his key aide and trainer isAzam Cheema alias Babaji, who was thekey plotter of July 11, 2006 serial trainblasts in Mumbai. He is the BahawalpurbasedLeT commander, who doubles up asan ISI operative. He, too, has close linkswith the Pakistani army.Kasab had stated in his confession:“There were 32 trainees in the camp.Sixteen were selected for a confidentialoperation by one Zaki-ur-Rehman, aliasChacha, but three of them ran away fromthe camp. Chacha sent the remaining 13with a person called Kafa to the Muridkecamp again.”On training, Kasab said: “‘Amir HafeezSaed told us that all Mujahideen has tofight for freedom of Kashmir. Then Zakiur-Rehman Lakhvi told us that time hascome for jihad. For the last 15 years, we arefighting in Kashmir.