Islamabad: Pakistani authorities have apparently decided to shift on India the blame for the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team on March 3 even though intelligence agencies have found strong evidence of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) involvement.
After a preliminary probe, Pakistani authorities had said there was evidence to suggest that the operation was planned by the LeT who possibly wanted to take the Sri Lankan cricketers hostage and demand the release of arrested commander and chief plotter of the Mumbai attack Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
However, Pakistani adviser on interior affairs Rehman Malik ruled out the involvement of the LeT last week. This was followed by media reports quoting official sources as saying that the operation was carried out by an al-Qaida-linked Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). But the authorities failed to explain the motive behind the attack.
ut now Pakistan is accusing India for the Lahore attack. The forensic report stated that the four rocket launchers and nine explosives seized from the crime scene were factory-made and used by Indian forces. Although none of the 12 terrorists involved in the act have been arrested, investigators claimed that Pakistani militant organisations do not have the capability to carry out an attack without the help of a state agency.
According to the findings, 40 grenades, 10 sub machine guns, five pistols, 577 live rounds of SMGs and 160 bullets of pistols were also found from the site. The terrorists reportedly fired 312 bullets, two rockets and detonated two grenades. However, no suicide jacket was found, suggesting that the attackers were not on a suicide mission. Investigators are now convinced that the mastermind of the attack had three objectives: to sour Pakistan's relations with Sri Lanka, to stop foreign teams from coming to Pakistan and to destabilise Pakistan.
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