Pakistan Anti-Terrorism Court Adjourns Hearing Mumbai Terror Attack Case To March 18

11 March, Lahore

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court holding the trial of the seven accused in the Mumbai terror attack case Wednesday adjourned the hearing till the 18th of this month.

The court adjourned the hearing after it was informed that the record of the case had been sent to the Islamabad High Court again, in connection with the bail plea of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

After the hearing, prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar said a private witness from Lahore was to record his statement in the trial court today, but could not do so.

Earlier, at least three consecutive hearings could not be held due to this reason. The Pakistan government had challenged the trial court’s December 18 decision to grant bail to Lakhvi. It however, detained Lakhvi under the Maintenance of Public Order, which expires this week.

At the hearing held last Wednesday, a magistrate had recorded a statement about the existence of a training centre of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Thatta district of Sindh province.

Lakhvi and six others Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum have been charged with planning and executing the Mumbai attacks in November, 2008 that left 166 people dead. The trial has been underway since 2009.