Former Pak PM had visited my house: Headley

Deposing before a Mumbai court on Friday, terrorist-turned-approver, David Headley revealed that his father and brother, Daniyal, knew of his association with the terror outfit Lashker-e-Taiba and added that his father had objected to his association with the terror outfit.

Headley told a Mumbai court that on the demise of his father, a retired director general of Radio Pakistan, in 2008, the former Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has visited his house.

Headley claimed he detested India since December 7, 1971, when Indian planes had bombed his school during the Indo-Pak war, and he said it damaged the school and killed people working there.

Headley, accused of his involvement in the ghaslty 2008 Mumbai carnage, told the court on Friday that he had planned to organize a fund raising event for Shiv Sena in the United States. This, he said, was with the help of Rajaram Rege and that he had put forward a proposal to Rege of calling the former Sena chief Bal Thackeray for the event. Headley revealed that in case of Thackeray’s absence, the plan was to invite his son or other Shiv Sena leaders and he had discussed this plan with LeT.

He, however, claimed that there was no plan to kill or attack Thackeray or any other Shiv Sena leader in the United States.
On Thursday, Headley had claimed that the former Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray was on the LeT hit list.

Rege exists: Sena

After initially denying, the Shiv Sena admitted the existence of Rajaram Rege, who David Headley said he was in touch with for an event Shiv Sena chief or leaders were to be invited. Shiv Sena MP, Sanjay Raut said that there was indeed an activist of that name working in one of the party’s wings. Raut, however, claimed that Rege is not a Public Relations Officer (PRO), as asserted by Headley, as there is no such position in the party.

“However, many people, including foreigners call up from the US or other places for many reasons, including some who want to do research studies on the party. We are very careful with foreigners and do a proper background check before we entertain them,” Raut was quoted by news agency IANS as saying.

This story will be updated as details emerge…

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About Suyash Karangutkar

Suyash Karangutkar is a young, dedicated and an enthusiastic journalist who has a deep interest in National and International Affairs. He is an ardent political spectator who finds politics fascinating. At Spectralhues, he heads the Mumbai team and covers National Affairs & Politics. He also occasionally writes columns for Spectralhues. He can be followed on Twitter @columnistsuyash