Pakistani spy, Muhammad Sakir Hussain, who was nabbed by NIA in 2013, said in a letter that the ISI had managed to “hire other prisoners to coerce and threaten him" to give clean chit to ex-Pakistani diplomat

New Delhi: Five years after security agencies managed to avert a re-run of 26/11 Mumbai attacks in the country, a letter by a Pakistani spy who was nabbed for being involved in the conspiracy has revealed a startling breach of security. The man, Muhammad Sakir Hussain, was a spy who later turned approver in the case and helped security officials unravel Pakistan’s nefarious plans to target the country. 

In 2013, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested ISI agent Hussain for allegedly gathering information about vital installations in Tamil Nadu. Hussain later confessed that he was a part of the conspiracy to target the US Consulate in Chennai, Israeli Consulate in Bengaluru, Eastern Naval Command HQ in Visakhapatnam as well as several ports in the country. During the investigation, it was revealed that former Pakistani diplomat Amir Zubair Siddiqui was the brains behind the terror plot.

However, in March last year, Hussain, whose prison sentence is near its completion, wrote a letter addressed to the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the NIA, the Centre, and the AGD & DG, Prisons, Chennai. In the letter, the ex-Pakistani spy claimed that he was being threatened by Pakistan’s spy agency ISI to give a clean chit to Pakistan’s former diplomat in the case. He also alleged that his life was in danger as the ISI had managed to “hire other prisoners to coerce and threaten him.”

Times Now has accessed the letter. Hussain had written, “In February 2018, 3 lawyers unofficially came regarding statement to confess in ISI's favour. Jail officials know everything but they hid it feeling its internal security matter.”

He further said, “On the direction of Pakistan intelligence agency (ISI), they want me to confess in the Madras High Court against Indian government and National Investigation Agency (NIA).” The ISI agent also alleged that he was told that if he did not confess in favour of Pakistan, his family would be “abducted and killed.”

Incidentally, the former Pakistani diplomat accused of plotting against the country was identified as Amir Zubair Siddiqui, who used to work as a visa counsellor at the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo.

As per New Indian Express, Siddiqui was arrested for allegedly being involved in the conspiracy to attack important establishments in India. However, even before the NIA's request under Mutual Assistance Legal Treaty (MLAT) could reach Colombo, Siddiqui was withdrawn from the post.