ISLAMABAD Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior on Thursday admitted that Mumbai attacks conspiracy was partly hatched in Pakistan saying a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against eight perpetrators, out of which six are in custody.

'Some part of the conspiracy has taken place in Pakistan. We have lodged an FIR into the case against eight perpetrators including the mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi,' he told a crowded news conference.

The registration of FIR against the accused by authorities is considered as a major development in investigation of Mumbai attacks. 
 
Analysts termed the briefing by Mr Malik to the media as a 'confessional' statement which he gave a day after the stance taken by Pakistan that information provide by India through dossier was 'insufficient' to bring the perpetrators to justice.
 
Thursdays remarks by Mr Malik are evident of the fact that security departments of both India and Pakistan failed to stop the accused from breaching their security while leaving Pakistani territory and entering into Indian water limits.

Indian Foreign Ministe Pranab Mukharjee hailed the efforts done by Pakistani authority to collect evidences against the accused and said the investigation being conducted by Pakistan was heading toward the right way.

Sources told Dawn that all six arrested accused who have their links with Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT), are being shifted to District Jail Adiyala where they will be put under in camera trial under Anti-Terrorism Act.

The information disclosed by the adviser revealed that there is a network of banned Islamists not only in Pakistan but in other parts of the world, as the planning of Mumbai attacks was also made or monitored in different countries like Austria, Spain, Italy, Russia and Houston, the hub of information technology in the United States.

Although, Rehman Malik said all the attackers of Mumbai carnage had proceed to India from Pakistan, he had no information about their identity and family background. Therefore, he asked Indian authorities to provide names and details of nine terrorist who were accompanying Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of Mumbai attacks.

Those who have been arrested in connection with the attacks are Three masterminds —LeT chief in Kashmir Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Hamad Amin Sadiq and Zarar Shah and three other perpetrators, Muhammad Kaif, Muhammad Ashfaq and Javed Iqbal.

Two other nominated in the FIR were Abu Hamza and Al Qaima how are still at large and interior ministry is uncertain about their whereabouts and other details.           

The sources said LeT operational chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Hamad Shah, a resident of Karachi were arrested in December but later the arrest of Zarar Shah provided all the leads to the investigators which were made public by Rehman Malik.

'The attackers left from Karachi on a boat hired from Balochistan province,' Mr Malik said. 'An e-mail claiming responsibility for the attack was sent by Zarrar Shah of the Lashkar-e-Taiba.'
 
'According to the initial inquiry report, a part of the conspiracy of Mumbai attacks was hatched in Pakistan, however, links have found in other states including USA, Austria, Spain, Italy and Russia,' Malik said.

Citing example of links, he pointed out an amount of $238 was transferred from Spain to acquire a 'domain name' used for communication over the Internet. It was registered in Houston, Texas USA.

Another domain name used by the attackers was registered in Russia, and a satellite phone registered in a Middle Eastern country.

One of the accused Javed Iqbal was living in Barcelona and was repatriated and arrested in connection with the payment of $238. However, the adviser did not elaborate that how the accused was brought to the country.

The FIR No. 01/2009 has been lodged against the eight accused with a special investigation unit in Islamabad police. 'The FIR has been launched. I want to show all of you, our nation, international community, and all those who have been victims of terrorism that we mean business,' he said.

After registering the case against the accused, Pakistan is sending a dossier carrying 30 questions to India for thoroughly probing into Mumbai attacks.

'We have asked the Indian authorities to share more information so that the culprits could be given strong prosecution. One should not think that we are passing responsibility on India, rather we want to give strong prosecution to the culprits,' the adviser said.

In the dossier, Pakistan has sought statement of Ajmal Kasab given to Indian authority, his figure prints and his accomplices who took part in the episode, intercepted conversation, details of seven SIMs used by the culprits for interaction, ID card and his other documents, photo images of other nine terrorists.

The advisor said Pakistan needed help and facilitation by Indian authorities to bring the culprits to justice as both the countries are suffering in the hands of terrorists.

'We have gone extra mile in conducting investigation on the basis on information provided by the India, and we have proved that we are with the Indian people,' he added.

Malik said initial inquiry has revealed that a total nine persons reached Indian through sea route while sailing from Thatha (Sindh), but it has yet to be determined that how did they manage to reach there.

The investigation revealed that the accused went to Karachi between September and October where they were imparted training for travelling into the deep seas. Three boats which have been used in the operation,  have been taken into custody, while their buyer and crew members Al Hussani and Al Farooq have also been arrested and are being interrogated.

Malik reiterated that all the culprits would be punished in Pakistan under the law of land.

Later, Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad was called to the Foreign Office on Thursday and he was provided the material pertaining to Mumbai attacks investigation being conducted by Federal Investigation Agency