Islamabad: A Pakistani anti-terrorism
court conducting the trial of seven Mumbai terror attack
suspects Saturday gave prosecutors time till June 11 to
substantiate their contention that India would allow a
Pakistani Judicial Commission to interview key witnesses and
officials.
The special public prosecutor told Judge Rana Nisar
Ahmed of the Rawalpindi-based court that the Indian government
had said it will cooperate with the Pakistani Judicial
Commission and allow it to question witnesses and officials.
The judge asked the prosecutors to substantiate their
contention with any written communication sent by Indian
authorities, sources told reporters.
The judge adjourned the case till June 11 though the
prosecutors had sought more time to complete formalities
related to the Judicial Commission, the sources said.
The prosecutors said the Judicial Commission intends
to interview doctors who conducted the autopsies of the Mumbai
attacks victims, police officials who investigated the
incident and the magistrate who recorded the statement of
Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist involved in the
November 2008 assault on India`s financial hub.
The statements of these persons will be recorded by
the Judicial Commission and presented to the anti-terrorism
court, the prosecutors said during proceedings held behind
closed doors at Adiala Jail for security reasons.
Defence lawyers opposed the move, saying the proposal
to send a Pakistani Commission to India was linked to New
Delhi`s proposal to send its Commission to Islamabad to
interview suspects linked to the Mumbai attacks.
They contended it was unlikely India would allow the
Pakistani panel`s visit if Islamabad did not clear the visit
of the Indian Commission.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik had said last year that
the trial of the seven Pakistani suspects, including
Lashker-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, had stalled
and it was important for the proposed commission to visit
India and record the testimony of key officials.
The seven Pakistani suspects have been charged with
planning, facilitating and financing the terror attacks that
killed 166 people.
Kasab has already been convicted and sentenced to
death by a special court in India for his role in the
incident.
PTI
