New Delhi:
A day after David Headley admitted to his role in 26/11 in a plea bargain in America, Home Minister P Chidambaram stepped up pressure on Pakistan to take action against the 26/11 perpetrators.
In a statement, Chidambaram said Headley's guilty plea is a severe indictment of the role played by terrorists in Pakistan. (
Read: Chidambaram's full statement). The statement says:
"India would be able to obtain access to David Coleman Headley to question him in a properly constituted judicial proceeding. Such judicial proceeding could be either pre-trial or during an inquiry or trial. It is also my understanding that David Coleman Headley is obliged to cooperate fully and truthfully in such proceedings... The plea agreement is the most damning indictment of the role played by certain persons in Pakistan... The "plea agreement" should spur Pakistan to take action against all the conspirators and bring them to justice. Nothing short of that will be acceptable to India or will satisfy world opinion."
Chidambaram's statement came just after the US Attorney General and head of the Justice Department called the Home Minister to clarify the deal with the 26/11 conspirator to India. (
Read: US on Headley plea)
As the Home Minister makes it clear that in the interrogations, Indian authorities will focus on Pakistan's ties with terrorist activities, let us take you over the facts spelled out in Headley's plea (
Read: India can interrogate David Headley: P Chidambaram):
David Headley's confession, which stressed on his links with the Lashkar-e-Toiba, gave credence to India's insistence that Pakistan was ground zero for terrorist activity in the area.
For years, India has told this to anyone who cared to listen. Now, finally, after all these years, an American national, David Headley, has told an American court of how he worked closely with the Lashkar-e-Toiba to plot 26/11.
David Headley's testimony goes a long way to back India's case that 26/11 was planned in Pakistan and executed by Pakistani terrorists.
A guilty plea saved David Headley from extradition to India. But the silver lining - the fact that in an American court, a key terror accused, will admit to a terror conspiracy planned completely in Pakistan and testify regarding terror training camps based in Pakistan.
In his plea, Headley has said he worked closely with the LeT to carry out the Mumbai attacks. He travelled to Pakistan at least five times and provided LeT the material support. He has also admitted to attending terrorist training camps in Pakistan.
These admissions confirm what India has maintained all along. But Pakistan will now find it hard to dismiss the evidence provided as part of an American judicial process, a key diplomatic advantage for India.