'Pak failed to foil Mehran base attack despite knowing Al Qaeda plans since 2009'

Islamabad, Jan 9(ANI): The Pakistan government failed to avert the attack on the Mehran naval base in Karachi despite being aware of Al Qaeda's plans to target the Islamabad's National Defence University (NDU) and naval installations since 2009.

A key accused, Mohammad Israrul Haq, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison besides being dismissed from service for planning attacks on Pakistan's naval installations and the National Defence University (NDU) had said in his confessional statement that Al Qaeda was planning to hold NDU officials as hostages and use them to negotiate the release of detained militants.

He also admitted to meeting Al Qaeda members in Makeen and Angoor Adda to discuss the location of important naval installations, The Dawn reports.

Israr also said that his childhood friend and a son of another former naval officer, Zafar Iqbal, had introduced him to local Al Qaeda leader Azmy.

He revealed that he had organized a surveillance visit for his friend Iqbal at the NDU premises.

He claimed that Al Qaeda had arranged 12 fighters for the attack but he backed out at the last moment because he was unwilling to attack his homeland, and instead offered help to NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Israr's family, however, claimed that his innocence. His mother Khatima Bibi said her son has been missing on June 4, 2009, the day of the attack.

Israr's lawyer has subsequently filed an appeal before a naval appellate court suggesting that his client's conviction is based on his confession that was not recorded before the court and demanded that the matter be probed again. (ANI)