New Delhi: India will make a strong pitch for the voice samples of the Mumbai terror attack accused in custody during the upcoming foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan on February 25, highly-placed sources indicated on Thursday.
"The voice samples are crucial to 26/11 investigations as they will help ascertain if those in custody by Pakistan are the ones who were guiding the Mumbai assault team during the attacks," said a top security official.
There are strong indications that one of the persons guiding the 26/11 attackers including Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist caught alive, was an Indian.
India has repeatedly asked Pakistan for voiceprints of Laskhar-e-Taiba founding member, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhwi, his deputy Mazhar Iqbal alias Abu al-Qama and Abdul Wajid alias Zarar Shah, who are facing charges in Pakistan for the 26/11 attacks.
But this request has not been accepted.
Recently, Home Minister P Chidamabaram hinted that that the 10 Pakistani terrorists who attacked Mumbai could have been guided by an Indian handler and whose true identity was yet to be ascertained.
"When we say he could be an Indian, he could be somebody who acquired Indian characteristics. He could have been infiltrated into India and lived here long enough to acquire an Indian accent, familiarity with Hindi words or could be somebody who went to Pakistan and was adopted by the militants there," Chidambaram had said.
"We know him as Abu Jindal for many months now... but he is not Abu Jindal. That is not his real name. We cannot put a finger who he is, unless we get a voice sample. And they (Pakistan) won't give us one."
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has categorically stated that the forthcoming foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan will only focus on terror and are not a resumption of the composite dialogue.
Pakistan will also be reminded of its commitment to dismantle the terror infrastructure on its soil and bring the 26/11 conspirators to justice.
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