Washington:
A US court has issued summons to senior Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officials, including its powerful chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha, and Mumbai attack masterminds and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) leaders Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi in response to a lawsuit filed by relatives of two American victims accusing them of providing material support for the 26/11 attacks.
The 26-page lawsuit was filed before a New York Court on November 19 against the ISI and the LeT by the relatives Rabbi Gavriel Noah Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, who were both gunned down by militants at the Chhabad House in Mumbai. Their son Moshe was saved by his Indian nanny in the tragedy.
"The ISI has long nurtured and used international terrorist groups, including LeT, to accomplish its goals and has provided material support to LeT and other international terrorist groups," said the lawsuit.
Pasha, who has been director general of the ISI since September 2008, has been summoned, so is Nadeem Taj, the director general of ISI from September 2007 to September 2008.
Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali are other ISI officers who have been issued summons.
The one of its kind lawsuit also brings as defendants Lashkar operatives like operations commander Lakhvi, JuD chief Saeed, and Azam Cheema.
"The Mumbai terrorist attack was planned, trained for and carried out by members of defendant LeT. Defendant ISI provided critical planning, material support, control and coordination of the attacks," the lawsuit alleges.
It accuses ISI officers Pasha, Taj, Iqbal and Ali of being purposefully engaged in the direct provision of material support or resources including weapons and explosives.
"On and prior to November 26, 2008, ISI, Pasha, Taj, Iqbal and Ali (as well as other officials, agents and employees of ISI) directed, engaged and/or relied upon the efforts of US-based individuals, including but not limited to David Headley and Tahawur Rana, for raising funds, building a network of connections, recruiting participants and planning the operation of the Mumbai terror attack," the lawsuit claims.
Noting that the LeT still operates training camps in Pakistan, Kashmir and Afghanistan, the petition said the group has openly advocated violence against India, Israel and the United States.