Islamabad: The trial of seven Pakistani suspects, including Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks was on Saturday adjourned for two weeks as the judge was away to attend a training course.
The trial was adjourned till March 30 as anti-terrorism court Judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman was expected to return to duty on Monday, sources told a news agency.
There were no proceedings today.
In a separate development, chief prosecutor Chaudhry Zulifqar Ali told a news agency that Indian authorities had not yet responded to a request for a written assurance that a Pakistani judicial commission would be allowed to cross-examine four key witnesses during a planned visit to Mumbai.
"India talks about a delay in the case but now it is causing a delay by not sending its reply," Ali said.
He said it should have taken Indian authorities more than a day to respond.
"We had written to the Indian government on February 12 and we`re still awaiting its response," he said.
Ali said defence lawyers had also not submitted their travel documents for the planned visit.
The Pakistani judicial commission`s visit to India has already been delayed by several weeks over the issue of the assurance that members of the panel will be allowed to cross-examine witnesses.
The commission is set to make a second visit to Mumbai to record the statements of four witnesses because the anti-terrorism court rejected a report submitted after its first visit on the ground that the panel was not allowed to conduct cross-examination.
The trial of the seven suspects has progressed at a snail`s pace due to repeated adjournments and various technical delays.
They have been charged with planning, financing and executing the attacks that killed 166 people in November 2008.
PTI
