While the first signs of Pakistan moving forward on the Mumbai investigation emerged on Wednesday in the form of media reports confirming the role of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, India was clear that any concrete result could only be expected when US investigators obtain access to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah — the two Lashkar kingpins that FBI wants to interrogate at the earliest. It is learnt that Washington has conveyed to New Delhi that it is trying to land US investigators in Pakistan “very soon”, possibly in the next few days.

Sources said Islamabad is moving slowly on letting US investigators on its soil but Washington has made it clear that its domestic laws require FBI to fully investigate any case where US citizens had been killed and so it would need to go to Pakistan as the next step.

Six US nationals were killed in the attacks.

As reported first by 'The Sunday Express' on December 28, US had specifically asked access from Pakistan for Lashkar operations head Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and communications in-charge Zarar Shah. The FBI has enough from forensic investigation involving telephonic conversations between the terrorists and these two LeT operatives.

In fact, Shah was the first name that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice mentioned to Indian leaders quite early during her visit to New Delhi in early December. She is said to have even taken it up strongly with Pakistan, demanding that his arrest was vital. Today The Wall Street Journal reported that Shah has confessed to Pakistani investigators of his role in the attacks, lending the first confirmation to India’s claims.

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