A former Pakistan national security adviser on Monday admitted that the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 was carried out by a Pakistan-based group, reported ANI. However, Mahmud Ali Durrani defended the Islamabad government and said that it had no role to play in the attacks that had killed 166 people.

“[The] 26/11 Mumbai strike, carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan, was a classic trans-border terrorist event”, said Durrani during an event at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis in Delhi.

Durrani also came down heavily on the Jammat-ud-Dawah chief. “Hafiz Saeed has no utility, we should act against him,” said Durrani, who Pakistan’s NSA during the 2008 attacks. Durrani’s comment comes days after India made a fresh demand to Pakistan seeking a re-investigation into the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks case. It has also demanded that Saeed, who the Pakistan government had put under house arrest in Lahore on January 30, be put on trial.

The Pakistani government had listed Saeed and his aide Qazi Kashif under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which essentially curtails their movement within the country. Since Saeed was placed under house arrest on January 30, rallies have been held in a number of regions in Pakistan.

Durrani also condemned terrorism and said that Pakistan’s poverty, education, weak legal and police structures are among the many reasons why terrorism thrives on its soil, according to Economic Times. “Each nation should make sure that its territory should not be used by terrorist outfits,” he said.