New Delhi, November 17
The government today promised to thoroughly investigate if David Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani origin, and his Canadian accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana had any role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

With reports suggesting that the Indian Consul General in Chicago had granted visas to the duo without the Home Ministry’s clearance, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said the security lapse, if any, would also be looked into carefully.

Amid new facts emerging everyday in the plot unearthed recently by the FBI to carry out terrorist attacks in India, he said it was also being ascertained how Rana was able to visit various Indian cities.

“These issues are going to be looked into very carefully from the point of view of security angle and perhaps in the days to come, you might see more on this,” the minister added.

Reports say that Headley and Rana were in Pakistan the day the Mumbai carnage took place. Investigating agencies are said to be studying the transcripts of intercepted telephone calls between the Mumbai attackers and their handlers in Pakistan to establish the duo’s links with the 26/11 incidents.

Krishna said he was looking forward to meeting his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on November 20 on the margins of the CHOGM Summit to discuss the issue of terrorism.

Krishna, without naming Pakistan, said issues such as cross-border terrorism and incidents of anti-India activities from territories of the neighbouring countries had impacted the process of regional economic engagement, connectivity and people-to-people contacts.

“While this is unfortunate, the fact remains the state of overall political relations influences other processes, including economic and trade relations and development of SAARC as an instrument of regional growth,” he added.