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
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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Punjab provincial government has reportedly withdrawn its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