INDIAN AND PAKISTANI FOREIGN SECRETARIES MET;

S E C R E T NEW DELHI 001466 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK IN SUBJECT: INDIAN AND PAKISTANI FOREIGN SECRETARIES MET; TRIALS UPDATE Classified By: ACTING POLCOUNS Lesslie Viguerie for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (SBU) The Sharm-el-Sheikh session between India and Pakistan,s Foreign Secretaries on July 14 appears to have gone fairly well, with the Indian press reporting that Menon and Bashir discussed terrorism, specifically the 26/11 attack and Islamabad's next steps in trying the accused perpetrators. The Pakistan desk officer at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that Indian and Pakistani Foreign Secretaries met Tuesday evening on the fringes of the Non Aligned Movement meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, but he said his office was not aware of another meeting that the press has reported as occurring today (Wednesday, July 15) to firm up plans for a meeting between the Prime Ministers on Thursday, July 16. Subsequent articles quoted FS Bashir as saying they discussed more than just terrorism, "we talked about all issues." External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna reportedly sounded positive when commenting on the Indo-Pak engagement saying the relationship appears to be less acrimonious now. Update on Pakistan Trials of Alleged Mumbai attackers -------------- -------------- ¶2. (S) Indian press coverage on Wednesday trumpeted that the Punjab provincial government has reportedly withdrawn its appeal to have Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, re-apprehended. Less coverage was given to the Pakistani federal government appeal, which reportedly still stands. According to law enforcement contacts, Pakistan's Federal Investigate Agency still believes the case it can currently make against Saeed is weak, and officials are looking for assistance to strengthen it. (The FBI is attempting to acquire additional evidence that can be used in court.) Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik during a July 11 press conference said that trials of five men accused in the 11/26 attack, including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Lashkar-e-Taiba's top commander, are to begin next week. Legatt confirmed that the next trial date is July 18 and the charge sheet may be filed at this time. ¶3. (S) Pakistan gave the Indian High Commission in Islamabad a dossier on July 11 that the media claims contains the name of 12 new suspects in the Mumbai attack and updates New Delhi on Pakistan's investigation. In a conversation with Legatt, the Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB) confirmed receipt of the dossier. However, the IB contradicted media reports, saying the document did not provide substantive information and was only a series of questions previously asked by the FIA to the IB, some of which the IB deemed "outlandish". The IB believes this was another attempt by the Pakistanis to "obfuscate what they are doing" on the investigation. Update of Kasab Trial in Mumbai -------------- ¶4. (U) India's trial against Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist captured during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, continues. The Mumbai court on July 14 denied Kasab's request for a copy of the compact disc submitted into evidence with the closed-caption television footage of him and his accomplice firing guns and throwing grenades outside the Chhatrapati Shivagi train station. Dr. Bhalchadra Chikhalikar, who performed autopsies on 21 victims of the Mumbai attacks, testified on Monday that most of the victims had received firearm injuries. ¶5. (S) Two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and three representatives from companies whose products were allegedly used in the attacks (Yamaha, Nokia, Callphonex) will begin testifying on August 12. BURLEIGH