Pakistan took a big U turn this monday by arresting Lashkar e Taiba /toiba (LeT) Operatives in Pakistan Controlled Kashmir Area (POK). It should be recalled till last week Pakistan had maintained that there is no concrete evidence linking the Mumbai attacks to terrorists/Groups in its soil.
But with the evidence obtained through Satellite phones and also the caught militant, both India and US FBI team was able to convince the US Secretary of condoleezza rice that Pakistan based LeT was behind the attacks. Also various links between ex Pakistan Army Officers and also present officers with the LeT was given as evidence. Eventually Condo impressed upon the Pakistan President to take concrete action instead of playing cat and mosue with India.
This might come as a huge shock to LeT and its supporters. For its part LeT has been only attacking Indian targets and fought alongside Pakistan army in previous wars. Lashkar had never involved in any incident within Pakistam, and was a proxy army of Pakistan.
But mounting pressure from US and other countries, raised a possible case of Pakistan becoming a Target like Iraq. To show the support for War against terrorists Pakistan had to do something, and thats what exactly happened on Monday. Though the Lashkar camp was raided and its Commander was arrested.
But the founder of Lashkar e Taiba is now protected as the organisation was split into Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the Lashkar-e-Taiba few years back when the LeT was banned in Pakistan and abroad. The Chief of the organisation and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed moved to Jamaat-ud-Dawa taking a more political role and giving financials and logistical support to LeT.
But going by the history of actions against terrorists in pakistan, India might not get too excited. Usually Pakistan arrests the elements whenever pressure mounts and eventually releases them after few months claiming not enough evidence. But this time the whole world is watching.
