India Calls for Un Ban on Pakistan Charity Over Mumbai

India has demanded that the UN security council ban a Pakistan-based charity as a terrorist group and front for the radical armed group behind the Mumbai attacks ? even as Pakistan confirms it has arrested another prominent Islamist wanted by Delhi.

Indian officials say Jemaat-ud-Dawa, which runs out of a sprawling complex outside Lahore, is a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, which India blames for the killing spree in Mumbai that left more than 170 dead.

The charity has denied any links to Lashkar-e-Taiba, two members of which have been arrested by Pakistani security agents in recent days.

The Indian government's foreign ministry expects that Jemaat, which helped rebuild shattered communities in Pakistani Kashmir after the 2005 earthquake, will be proscribed by the UN early next week with backing from the US.

Pervez Musharraf, then Pakistan's military dictator, banned Lashkar-e-Taiba in January 2002 under pressure that followed the September 11 attacks in the US and an attempt by gunmen to storm the Indian parliament in December 2001. But the group has continued to operate openly in Pakistan.

Today, Indian television reported that the Indian air force went on high alert after intelligence reports of possible aerial attacks by terrorist groups.

Yousuf Raza Gilani, Pakistan's prime minister, confirmed that Lashkar-e-Taiba's Zarar Shah was in Pakistani custody. Indian investigators say Shah arranged for internet phone services, satellite phones and mobile connections in India for the gunmen, and that he sent an email claiming responsibility for the attacks on behalf of a previously unknown group called Deccan Mujahideen.

Shah is the second senior Lashkar-e-Taiba member arrested. The first was Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, said to be its operations chief.

Pakistan's ambassador to the UN, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, told Indian television that Pakistan would "definitely take strong action ... we are offering the government of India a very high level delegation to come to Delhi and try to bring about a situation of d?tente."

Analysts say Delhi is waiting for Pakistan to show its real hand in the crisis. "The capture of Zarar is a positive step. But the basic question is what is Pakistan's intent," said Ajit Doval, the former head of India's intelligence services.

"Is it to say terrorism is bad, all radical Islamic groups which propagate jihad are unacceptable? Or will they say that there are good terrorists and bad terrorists and leave some groups to operate freely?"

Reports are emerging that Islamists in India aided the alleged Pakistani gunmen. One man, named as Sabauddin Ahmed, is said to have operated from Nepal and rented houses while taking orders from handlers in Pakistan. Another, Fahim Ansari, apparently had a map highlighting south Mumbai targets that were attacked. Police say Ansari had been preparing for the attacks since 2007.