Mumbai Attack

Pak rejects report on Zarar Shah's confession

Pakistan on Thursday 01 Jan 09 dismissed reports about top LeT commander Zarar Shah admitting to his key role in the Mumbai attacks, saying it was too early to reach any conclusion without India providing evidence of involvement of the Pakistan-based elements in the 26/11 strikes.

The Wall Street Journal report that Shah, who has been detained by the Pakistani authorities, confessed to his involvement in the Mumbai attacks cannot be a basis for determining the role of the Pakistan-based elements in the incident, senior officials were quoted as saying by the media.

They said India had not yet provided any evidence.

Their remarks came a day after Information Minister Sherry Rehman dismissed as "completely speculative" another report that the US had shared with Pakistan a taped conversation Lashkar-e-Toiba operations head Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi allegedly had with terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks.

"It is based on complete speculation that the US has shared information (on 26/11 attacks). Even if it has happened, the government of Pakistan has not received such an evidence," she said in Karachi, referring to the Dawn report.

Rehman also said India has not shared any evidence.

Regarding the action taken by Pakistan against some activists of LeT's front organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawa which has been banned by the UN Security Council, she said whatever Pakistan has done was in compliance with the world body's resolutions and the international community "agrees that we do not give shelter to terrorists and non-state actors".