A Pakistani anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of LeT’s Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six other suspects charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks on Saturday gave prosecutors a week’s time to provide copies of statements of key Indian witnesses and other relevant documents to defence lawyers.
The prosecutors were unable to produce the documents during proceedings conducted by Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed behind closed doors at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, sources told PTI .
The judge had earlier directed the prosecution to provide the documents at today’s hearing.
After the prosecutors sought more time to produce the documents, the judge gave them time till June 18 and adjourned the proceedings, the sources said.
At the last hearing on May 28, the prosecutors had told the judge that the Indian government had said it will cooperate with a Pakistani judicial commission and allow it to question witnesses and officials.
The judge had asked them to substantiate their contention with any written communication sent by Indian authorities.
This matter is also expected to be taken up at the next hearing, the sources said.
The prosecutors said the judicial commission intends to interview doctors who conducted the autopsies on 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.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik had said last year that the trial of the seven Pakistani suspects had stalled and it was important for the commission to visit India and record the testimony of key officials.
Lakhvi and six other Pakistani suspects have been charged with planning, facilitating and financing the Mumbai 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 attacks.
