Mumbai warrants seek 22 suspects

An Indian court has issued arrest warrants for 22 Pakistani citizens suspected of organising the attacks on Mumbai (Bombay) in which 166 died.

Three of the warrants over November's atacks are for the founder and two leaders of the Pakistan-based Islamist militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba.

An Indian prosecutor demanded that Islamabad extradite all the suspects.

Pakistan has said that none of the suspects will be extradited to India but could be tried in Pakistani courts.

The warrants were issued at the ongoing trial of Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the only surviving suspected gunman in the attacks, who denies the charges against him.

Among those sought are Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which India blames for launching the attacks, and Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, two leaders of the group.

Pakistan arrested all three of the men in December after Indian diplomats provided a dossier of evidence.

However, a court in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore freed Mr Saeed, a hardline Islamic cleric, earlier this month, saying there was no evidence against him. Indian officials heatedly condemned the move.

The attacks took place from 26-28 November.

India has accused Pakistan-based fighters from Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks.

Pakistan has admitted they were partly planned on its soil and the two countries have suffered seriously strained relations.

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