Islamabad: The trial of seven Pakistani suspects who were allegedly involved in the planning of 26/11 Mumbai attack that claimed lives of over 166 people and wounded at least 308 , has been put on standstill following a standoff between India and Pakistan government.
According to a report in Pakistan's Dawn, Islamabad has asked Indian government to send the 24 witnesses to Pakistan to testify against the seven suspects, including the alleged mastermind of the attacks Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
During the last hearing of the Mumbai attacks case in the ATC on June 29, the prosecution informed the court that they were still waiting for a response from the Indian side.
“The ball is now in the Indian court as we are waiting for their response regarding the witnesses,” Dawn quoted its source as saying.
“Unless the Indian government provides the witnesses, it would be difficult for the prosecution to prove the case, and the benefit would definitely go to the suspects,” he claimed.
The Pakistan government had sent the request after the prosecution in January this year filed an application with the ATC, seeking summoning of the Indian witnesses.The prosecution completed the testimony of all the 68 Pakistani witnesses seven months ago. At a time when the ATC was about to conclude the proceedings, the prosecution filed the application for the production of the survivors of the Mumbai attacks, the doctors who conducted the postmortem of the deceased persons, terrorists and the eyewitnesses, the report says.
Lakhvi and other suspects - Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus Anjum - are being tried by the anti-terrorism court (ATC) Islamabad since 2009. They are accused of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack.
Lakhvi is living at an undisclosed location after he got released from jail on bail a year ago. The other six suspects are in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. The case has been going on in the country for more than six years.
