Pak, ISI helped convicts in 1993 Mumbai blasts: SC

Pakistan and its spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence had played a vital role in imparting training to convicts to handle weapons and explosives, which materialised in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, the Supreme Court held on Thursday.

A bench of justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan said that Dawood Ibrahim and other absconding accused along with Yakub Memon, had hatched the conspiracy in which Pakistan authorities and ISI provided assistance to them. It also said, "Pakistan took precautions not to bring its involvement on record".

"It is devastating to state that Pakistan being a member of the United Nations, whose primary object is to maintain international peace and security, has infringed the recognised principles under international law which obligate all states to prevent terrorist attacks emanating from their territory and inflicting injuries to other states," the bench said.

The convicts were provided with "green channel facility" in Pakistan, the apex court said and also noted that they entered Pakistan from Dubai and received training from the ISI, which took them out of Islamabad airport without observing any immigration rules.

"In the relevant scenario, the accused arrived in Pakistan for training and they were received by ISI operatives who took them out of the airport without observing any immigration formalities. Meaning thereby, they had a green channel entry and exit in Pakistan. Another confession reveals that they received training from the ISI officials themselves on some occasions. These events unveil tolerance and encouragement shown by Pakistan towards terrorism," it said.

"A large number of convicted accused and absconders have received training in making of bombs by using RDX and other explosives, handling of sophisticated automatic weapons like AK-56 Rifles and handling of hand grenades in Pakistan," it noted.

The court said that the arrangement for their training in Pakistan was made by Dawood Ibrahim, Anees Ibrahim, Mohd. Dossa and Salim Bismillah Khan (since deceased).

"The training received in Pakistan materialised in the unfortunate serial blasts in Bombay, India on 12th March 1993. A responsible state owes an obligation not only to another state but also to the international community as a whole. We sincerely hope that every State will strive towards the same," the bench said.