Charges to be Filed against Mumbai attacks suspect

Mumbai, India- The joint commissioner of police in Mumbai, India Rakesh Maria told reporters on Tuesday that the government expected to file charges against Pakistani citizen Mohammed Ajmal Amir Iman, also known as Kasab, who was arrested in India during the attacks on Mumbai in November of 2008.

The charges are expected to be filed in the city courthouse according to the police commissioner. In addition to Kasab and nine other members of Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT) militants, the charges may name around 20 more accused individuals believed to be in hiding in Pakistan, according to an official familiar with the situation who did not want to be named.

Indian laws require that individuals be charged formally within 90 days of being arrested. Kasab who was arrested on November 28, 2008 is a Pakistani citizen who along with other militants is accused of planning and carrying out the attacks from Pakistani soil in Mumbai, India and was one of the people responsible for the deaths of at least 173 people and the injury to at least 308 others. His charges include 'making war against the country and murder'. If convicted, he faces the death penalty.

The government of Pakistan earlier this month admitted to the fact that its soil was used by the militants for the planning and carrying out of the attacks. This was a great first step and Pakistan's government needs to closely examine the charges and the individuals named in the sheet Wednesday and do everything in its power to cooperate fully in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Pakistanis for Peace has long believed in the dangers of these groups operating inside its territory not only against the people of Pakistan, but also against its neighbors. This occasion gives Pakistan a great opportunity to cooperate with the Indian government and show its good faith and its commitment to eradicating terror groups inside its country and in the region. As the recent battles between the Pakistani army and the militants inside Pakistan's North West Frontier Provience (NWFP) has shown, the militants are getting stronger by the day and their ability to carry out attacks at will should be a disturbing trend for the government of Pakistan and its citizens. Doing everything it can to assist the Indian government will go a long ways in bringing the two enemies back to the Kashmir peace talks that are currently on pause since the Mumbai attacks. We urge both the Pakistani and Indian governments to share every bit of information they have in bringing these heinous individuals responsible for so much death and destruction in Mumbai to swift justice. This is a great opportunity for both governments to act in a manner that illustrates what the people of both countries have longed for the last 62 years and that is to live in peace side by side as they have done for over 5,000 years.

Reported for www.PakistanisforPeace.com by Manzer Munir