NEW DELHI: Security and strategic affairs expert commodore (retired) Uday Bhaskar on Monday remained sceptical about whether 26/11 accused David Coleman Headley’s deposition would make any difference to the stance adopted by Pakistan in the ongoing trial of the alleged perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack.
He, however, said the deposition exposes Pakistan’s linkages to sponsoring terrorism in the public domain.
“Headley’s deposition before the Mumbai court is significant because it corroborates many of the inferences and observations that were made regarding the Mumbai attacks. He has confirmed that he visited India eight times, and seven of them were to Mumbai,” he told ANI.
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Commodore (retd) Bhaskar said Headley’s statements are a reiteration of many of the conclusions that India had already drawn. He said that it also corroborates many of the findings that were submitted to Pakistan.
“We have to see how Pakistan would respond... All of this would suggest that it is unlikely that this particular deposition would make any difference to 26/11 (case in Pakistan), but the more important part is that it exposes in the public domain the linkage of Pakistan in terms of sponsoring terrorism,” he added.
Earlier, former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief A S Dulat expressed doubt about whether Pakistan would accept Headley’s deposition as it was made under the influence of the American authorities.
Headley, one of the main conspirators in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, deposed as a witness in the case and admitted that he had come to the city with a false identity at the behest of his colleague and handler Sajid Mir, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative.
Headley further admitted that he was a true follower of the LeT and had changed his name from Dawood Gilani to David Coleman Headley for the purpose of acquiring a new passport to come to India. He said he visited Mumbai seven times prior to the attacks on November 26, 2008.
He even visited Delhi in March 2009 after the attacks.
During his deposition, he also named some Pakistan Army officials and the ISI officials.