Pakistan rejects confession report

Published January 2, 2009

ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: Pakistan denied reports on Thursday that a militant arrested last month had confessed to involvement in the Mumbai attacks, saying no conclusions could be made until investigations are complete.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed officials, that authorities had obtained a confession from a key leader of the banned group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which India has blamed for the carnage in Mumbai.

The suspect, Zarar Shah, allegedly told investigators he had played a key role in the planning of the Mumbai attacks.

But Pakistan Interior Ministry spokesman Shahidullah Baig told AFP: “We have no such information. We don’t accept that report.”

A senior government official told AFP on Thursday that no conclusions could be drawn from Pakistan’s investigations until India shared key evidence with Islamabad about the attacks.

The official, who asked not to be named, added that New Delhi had stated that its probe was going on.

Indian media reports have said that Lakhvi chose the team of 10 gunmen that perpetrated the attacks, while Shah allegedly arranged SIM cards and satellite phones used in the Nov 26-29 carnage.—AFP