Mumbai attack case: Pakistani court summons 5 witnesses on April 22 against Lakhvi

Lahore: An Anti-Terrorism Court in Pakistan on Wednesday summoned five witnesses on April 22 for recording their statements in the 2008 Mumbai attack case against Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and six other accused.

After the directions of the Islamabad High Court, which has set a two-month deadline for the trial court to conclude the case, Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad judge Sohail Akbar on Wednesday held the hearing at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi where six accused are lodged.

The IHC on April 13 warned the trial court that it would accede to Pakistan government's plea to cancel the bail granted to Lakhvi if it failed to conclude the case by mid June. The hearing till conclusion of the case against 55-year-old Lakhvi and the six other accused will be held in Adiala Jail, a court official told PTI.

"Today the record of the case was also presented in the trial court which had been laying with the IHC for more than two months in connection with the government's plea for cancellation of bail to Lakhvi," the official said.

Read: Pakistan's Punjab govt challenges 26/11 mastermind Lakhvi's release in SC, seeks his detention

He said the trail court today showed urgency in meeting the deadline set by the IHC. It is not only the trial court, which appears to expedite the Mumbai terror case, which has been pending for more than five years, but also the federal government today notified appointment of one more prosecutor to strengthen the prosecution team. Now, with addition of Akram Qureshi the prosecution team comprises four prosecutors, including Chaudhry Azhar (head), Abuzar Peerzada and Qazi Hasan.

On April 10, Mumbai attack mastermind Lakhvi was released from the Adiala Jail after the Lahore High Court suspended his detention under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) as the government failed to present "sensitive evidence" against him in the court.

Read: Pakistan court sets 2-month deadline to complete 26/11 Mumbai attacks trial

India lodged a strong protest over the release, saying the "negative development" reinforced the perception that Pakistan has a dual policy on dealing with terrorists. Lakhvi, a close relative of LeT founder and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, was arrested in December 2008 and was indicted along with the six others on November 25, 2009 in connection with the case.

He 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 attack in November, 2008 that left 166 people dead.