Pak court issues warrant against Faheem Ansari

A Pakistan court has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Faheem Ansari, an alleged Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case accused, for allegedly obtaining a Pakistani passport on fake documents.

The Pakistan court has issued warrant against Faheem, an Indian citizen, for allegedly procuring a Pakistani passport on fake documents, thereby charging him with committing an offence in that country, sources told PTI. Special public prosecutor in the 26/11 case, Ujjwal Nikam, confirmed the development but refused to comment on it. The warrant has been issued but it has yet to reach India, the sources said, adding the procedure would take some time as it would be forwarded through the Interpol.

Meanwhile, Faheem is facing the trial in Mumbai for his alleged role in preparing maps of target locations in Mumbai and handing them over to the LeT conspirators in Pakistan for executing the Mumbai terror attacks last November. The police had recovered a Pakistani passport from Faheem when he was arrested. Details of his passport were sent to Pakistani authorities, who confirmed that it was genuine. Prosecutor Nikam had informed the trial court last week that Pakistan had confirmed the genuineness of the passport. However, it seems the Pakistani authorities have realised that though genuine, the passport was obtained on the basis of "fake" documents.

Faheem may not be immediately handed over to Pakistan because the warrant has not yet been received here. Moreover, the trial in an anti-terror court here is about to get over and the judgement expected to be delivered in a month or two, the sources said. The Mumbai court has also issued non-bailable warrants against few absconding accused including alleged chief of LeT's anti-India operations, Zaki-ur-Rehman-Lakhvi, who is facing 26/11 trial in the neighbouring country.

So far, these warrants have not been executed by Pakistan. In the Mumbai court, besides Faheem, two others facing the trial are Sabaudddin Ahmed, also an Indian, and lone captured Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasab. Sabauddin is facing the charge of handing over maps made by Faheem to LeT while Kasab has been put on trial for killing 166 persons in the terror attacks.