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  David Coleman Headley confesses he worked for ISI

David Coleman Headley confesses he worked for ISI

Published : Feb 10, 2016, 6:35 am IST
Updated : Feb 10, 2016, 6:35 am IST

Says ISI funds JeM, LeT & Hizbul

Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley (Photo: PTI/File)
 Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley (Photo: PTI/File)

Says ISI funds JeM, LeT & Hizbul

The 2008 Mumbai terror attack case approver David Coleman Headley on Tuesday informed the special court that he was working for Pakistan’s intelligence agency Inter Service Intelligence (ISI).

While answering a question posed by special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, Headley admitted that he was working for Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI besides LeT (Lashkar-e-Tayyaba) and that he knew about ISI official Brigadier Riyaz being the handler of LeT’s top commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who was the mastermind of the November 26, 2008 attacks in Mumbai. He also said that during his stay in Pakistan Colonel Shah, Lieutenant Colonel Hamza, Major Samir Ali, Major Iqbal and retired army officer Abdul Rehman Pasha who was closely working with LeT and Al Qaeda were amongst the persons from ISI who were coordinating between him and ISI. He also said that the ISI provides financial, military and moral support to terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Continuing to spill the beans, Headley told the special judge G.A. Sanap, “I met Major Iqbal of ISI in Lahore in early 2006. He asked me to gather military intelligence from India and also try to recruit someone from the Indian military to spy. I told Major Iqbal that I would do as he asked.”

Another ISI officer Samir Ali also wanted him to do some intelligence work in India, Headley told the court. Regarding Abdul Rehman Pasha, Headley said that he met the retired Pakistan Army officer in Pakistan in early 2003 at a mosque in Lahore. “When I first met Pasha he was with LeT.

At that time he had no relation with Al-Qaeda, but may be after two years, he left LeT to join Al-Qaeda,” he said.

On his links with militant group JeM’s founder Masood Azhar, Headley said, “I know Maulana Masood Azhar as I saw him once in October 2003. He is the head of Jaish-e-Mohammed. In October 2003, there was a gathering of LeT and he was a guest speaker there.” The recording of Headley’s evidence will continue on Wednesday.