LeT’s operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi’s petition seeking his acquittal in the Mumbai attacks case could not be taken up by Pakistan’s Supreme Court today due to paucity of time and is expected to be heard next week.
The petition was listed for hearing today but the apex court could not take it up as it was pre-occupied with a case related to alleged wrong-doing in the award of a liquefied natural gas contract last year, Lakhvi’s counsel Khwaja Sultan told PTI.
The apex court had last week issued notice to the government to respond to Lakhvi’s petition by today.
The Supreme Court’s registry is expected to set a date on Saturday for the hearing of the petition next week, Mr. Sultan said.
In his petition filed on April 7, Lakhvi sought his acquittal on the ground that the prosecution had no evidence linking him to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, barring the “retracted” confession of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone attacker arrested alive by Indian authorities.
Lakhvi also asked the apex court to restrain an anti-terrorism court and the prosecution from using Kasab’s confessional statement as evidence against him.
Mr. Sultan has contended that the prosecution had not levelled any allegation about Lakhvi’s “connection or interaction” with any of the six co—accused and others persons allegedly involved in the Mumbai carnage.
The Lahore High Court yesterday admitted a separate petition filed by the prosecution challenging the anti—terrorism court’s decision not to declare Kasab and Fahim Ansari, another suspect arrested by Indian authorities, as “proclaimed offenders” or fugitives.
The prosecution wants them to be declared fugitives as this is a pre—requisite for using Kasab’s statement in the anti—terrorism court.
Lakhvi and six other suspects — Zarar Shah, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Abu al—Qama, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum — are being tried by the Rawalpindi—based anti—terrorism court on charges of planning and facilitating the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.
