Indian Suspected in Lahore attack on Lanka’s team charges "Dawn"
By Zulqernain Tahir
According to a forensic report, four rocket-launchers and nine explosives seized from the scene are factory-made and used by Indian forces.
Forty grenades, 10 sub-machine guns (SMGs), five pistols, 577 live rounds of SMGs and 160 bullets of pistols were also found there. The terrorists had fired 312 bullets, two rockets and detonated two bombs.
‘No suicide jacket was found at the scene, suggesting that they were not on a suicide mission. The SMGs used in the attack are of Russian, German and Chinese made,’ an investigator told Dawn on Monday.
Six policemen and a Pakistan Cricket Board van driver lost their lives when a group of a dozen terrorists ambushed Sri Lankan cricketers’ convoy near the Liberty roundabout in Lahore on March 3. Six of the Sri Lankan players suffered injuries.
Although none of the 12 terrorists involved in the gory act has been arrested so far, investigators have come up with a claim based on ‘positive leads’ that none of the militant organisations in the country had the capacity to carry out the attack without the help of a state agency.
‘The ammunition and communication network is the base of our claim that a state agency is also involved,’ said the investigator. He said that law-enforcement agencies had taken over 100 suspects into custody, but yet to arrest any of the terrorists.
’Unfortunately all terrorists (involved in the attack) managed to flee to the tribal belt (probably Waziristan) owing to ‘belated’ response by police to go after them soon after the attack,’ he said.
Investigators are now convinced that the mastermind of the attack had four objectives:
(1) To sour Pakistan’s relations with Sri Lanka,
(2) to stop foreign teams from coming to Pakistan,
(3) to destabilise Pakistan and
(4) to tell it (Pakistan) that its state agency is more capable than its (ISI) in carrying out such attacks even in the midst of huge security presence.
Investigators however clarify that the attackers did not want to hijack the cricketers’ bus as they wanted to meet the above objectives ‘Hijacking often takes place when culprits want to secure the release of someone,’ they said.
A four-member police team, headed by Punjab’s Additional Inspector-General of Police (Investigation) Salahuddin Khan Niazi, and another joint investigation team comprising officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), have been investigating the matter.
4 Comments
Sri Lankan cricket captain says "the attack on the team in Pakistan has changed the players' approach to participating in future tournaments"
The perfect example of how a SL respond to an issue. They react - or realize only after they got hit. The same SL leaders try different things and failed each time. On tamils. But they never stop trying what they prefer.
It might be an Indian attack on Pakistan. They may wanted to achieve 3 things.
1. Break the Indo-Pak relationship on military and security of the region against India.
2. Take revenge attack for recent Mumbay attack by Pakistan militants.
3. Wanted to give a warning to SL if it involves any activity without India's permission. Indian team denied to go for the cricket match with Pak but SL sent its team there.
There is a school of thought that suggests an LTTE link to the attack. In fact a pakistani ISI officer claims that the LTTE have purchased and transported military equipment out of their cities, mainly the tribal regions. Reports of LTTE procurement head KP frequenting Lahore underground drinking spots have also been on the grapewine, within the south asian intelligence community. If the attack had been successful, the biggest gainers would have been the LTTE. Do not forget the link between the Pak/SL airforces; a critical factor in the final Eelam war. Personally I believe the LTTE were instrumental!
So it all come down to the Indian ocean and Himalayan war ( as oppose to Cold war of the last century) of Indy- pak supremacy. Nepal, Bhutan, Kashmir, Afghan, Maoldives and now the Srilanka as play grounds for this GREAT GAME. Courtesy sponsores on one side China, Iran and possibly Saudi with USA, Japan, Nato and non -nato Euro countries on the other side.
Well come to the new world order.
Tamil nation will have new identity, new Flag and new that and new this based on these countries caliming a piece of it.