A former LeT militant, arrested last month for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has been absolved by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency which says no allegation has been proved against him.
Sufayan Zafar was accused of providing Rs 14,800 for the Mumbai attacks and paying Rs 3.98 million to another accused, Shahid Jameel Riaz, before the assault.
“The FIA has found no evidence against Zafar during investigation,” said an official of the FIA.
He said the allegation that Zafar had financed one of the arrested suspects in the Mumbai case could not be proved after a thorough investigation. The official said: “Zafar’s role in providing finances to Mumbai attacks suspects has not been established.”
The official said Zafar would not be charge-sheeted in court. “FIA will submit a challan in the trial court in this regard on the next hearing on September 22 but will not frame charges against him,” the official said.
Zafar was hiding after being declared a proclaimed offender or fugitive in the Mumbai attacks case. He was arrested early last month from his hideout in Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
{{/usCountry}}Zafar was hiding after being declared a proclaimed offender or fugitive in the Mumbai attacks case. He was arrested early last month from his hideout in Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
{{/usCountry}}A resident of Gujranwala district of Punjab province, 80 km from Lahore, Zafar was among 21 absconding suspects wanted in the high-profile case.
The prime suspect – Lashkar-e-Taiba operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, believed to be the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks – has been in hiding after getting bail more than a year ago.
Six more suspects – Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus Anjum – are being held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since 2009 after being charged with abetment of murder, attempted murder, and planning and executing the Mumbai attacks.
A total of 166 people were killed in the attacks carried out by 10 LeT members. Nine terrorists were killed while the lone survivor, Ajmal Kasab, was captured and later executed.