IANS

Mumbai, Mar 11: A day after accusing the Pakistani Army of training the terrorists behind the 26/11 Mumbai carnage, the prosecution in the trial of the case Wednesday termed the attacks "an act of waging war against India, spreading fear in the minds of the people and to damage the country's economy".

Continuing his final arguments for the second day, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam cited the confessional statements of the lone terrorist nabbed alive, Ajmal Amir Kasab, that the intention behind the terror attack was to overthrow the government and destabilize the country's economy.

Nikam said Kasab, in his confession, had also said that during their training in Pakistan, theywere informed that the attacks were to be carried out with the intention of liberating Kashmir.

Even the call intercepts between the handlers and terrorists also confirmed that the aim was to liberate Kashmir. "It clearly reflects the aim behind the attack and thus the charge of waging war could be applicable," Nikam argued.

In this context, Nikam also cited Supreme Court judgements, including the one on the attack on Indian parliament. He said the court had upheld the charges of waging war against the nation against the accused.

"The same applies in this case. The aim was to spread fear and so the section is applicable to the accused Kasab and the co-accused Sabauddin Ahmed and Fahim Ansari," Nikam said.

To this, Special Judge M.L. Tahaliyani observed that only Indians were involved in the parliament attack in 2001.

"However, here the issue remains whether the trial of a foreign national, on the charges of waging war, can be conducted in this trial court, since the Supreme Court judgement speaks about Indians," he noted.

Charging that the terror attacks were "state-sponsored", Nikam had Tuesday said that the Pakistani Army was involved and had trained the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai Nov 26-29, 2008.

Nikam will continue the final arguments Thursday.