Hafiz Saeed is the head of the Jamaat ud-Dawa, the Lashkar’s parent organisation, and Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi is the Lashkar’s operations chief. Abu Kahfa is a top Lashkar operative.

“Major General said, ‘When I say fire once, fire one shot and when I say fire twice do rapid fire.’ Ten of us took positions and he inspected our positions and then said ‘fire’. We immediately fired a single shot. Except for Imran Babar everyone fired on target. Amir Hafiz Saeed scolded Imran and used abusive words. Major General asked Imran to do target practice. Again we were asked to take positions and we did so. Major General said ‘fire twice’ and we emptied the magazines. Major General then checked the targets closely and said, ‘Who fired target 4?’ I said, ‘I did.’ He said you have completely destroyed target 4. I am very happy.’ He told the others, ‘You have to destroy more using less number of bullets.’ He pointed towards me and said, ‘Your firing should be like this mujahideen’s and he left.”

According to Kasab’s statement, Hafiz Saeed told them: “All jihadis have to fight to free Kashmir. The Jamat-ud-Dawa has been fighting for 15 years in Kashmir but the Indian government is not letting go of it. So now, we have to wage a war against the Indian government to get Kashmir.”

Abu Al-Qama, another Lashkar leader wanted in the case, told the 10 attackers that major Indian cities must be targeted to break them from within. “Jo is kaam mein shahid hoga usko jannat naseeb hoga”. (Whoever dies in this endeavour, will go to heaven.)

... contd.