Islamabad: An official of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claimed Monday that the Mumbai terror attacks were planned in Europe. The agency, however, denied the report.
The result of Pakistan's probe into the attacks show the master plan was developed in a European country, a senior FIA official told Iran's Press TV channel.
The FIA immediately distanced itself from the report, saying none of its officials was authorised to speak to the media.
"The official, who was talking on condition of anonymity, said the Pakistani government of (President) Asif Ali Zardari was still undecided over providing the country with evidence," read a posting on the Press TV website.
Declining to name any state, the official added that the report would be presented to the Indian government through diplomatic channels in the next two days.
The Pakistani official said the FIA's findings rule out the involvement of any Pakistani group or organisations in the Mumbai attacks.
"The report further disclosed that there were no Pakistani group or organisation involved in the attacks, however the government is investigating to make the report more transparent," the official added.
India has blamed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group for the Nov 26-29 Mumbai carnage that claimed the lives of more than 170 people, including 26 foreigners, and injured more than 300.
On Sunday, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sought an explanation from the country's envoy in Britain Wajid Shamsul Hassan for suggesting that the FIA probe had revealed that the Mumbai attacks were planned outside this country.
"At times, people are not performing their duties but are doing duties of others," the prime minister maintained at a press conference here after returning from the World Economic Forum meeting at Davos.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has similarly rapped Hassan, saying he made the statement out of turn.
Gilani also said on Sunday that Pakistan had completed its probe into the Mumbai mayhem and would soon share this with India.
"I assure the world, the media and the government and the people of India that the (Indian) dossier (on Mumbai) has been investigated and has been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice and after their approval, I will take you into confidence," Gilani said.
India had Jan 5 submitted a dossier pointing to the involvement of elements from this country in the Mumbai attacks. The FIA was tasked with examining the document and submitting a report.
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