'India's love for Noor moved me'

NEW DELHI: Pakistan-trained terrorist Ashraf, belonging to Harkat-ul-jehadi-e-Islami (HUJI) said on Thursday that the affection which Indians showered on baby Noor, when she came for her operation, had moved him to confess his guilt.
Ashraf got his statement recorded before additional sessions judge S N Dhingra. He also expressed his desire to lead a new life.Ashraf had been charged under Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) for allegedly conspiring to kill President A P J Abdul Kalam and kidnap cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.
Ashraf is a resident of Layya village in Pakistan’s Punjab province. In his confessional statement, he reportedly said their plans included a conspiracy to trigger blasts at the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre. He said he took to terror for money.
In his statement, Ashraf said that in Pakistan, Mehboob and Mufti Hifayatullah had met him and promised to pay him well if he joined their ranks. ‘‘I got trapped in their scheme of things and got misguided,’’ Ashraf said, adding that he had entered India through the Bangladesh border.
He prayed the court to have mercy on him and adopt a lenient stand. Following the admission, the court convicted him of the charges and set September 29 for hearing the arguments on the sentence. Ashraf is facing trial in the case along with five other Pakistani and Bangladeshi terrorists.
Besides Ashraf, the court had framed charges against Tariq Mohammad, Ashhaq Ahmed, Mohammad Amran, Abdul Majid, Mufti Mohammad Asrar, Arshad Khan, Ghulam Mohammad Dar and Ghulam Qadar Bhatt.