ID :
142901
Tue, 09/21/2010 - 08:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/142901
The shortlink copeid
Lakhvi`s lawyers refuse to go to India as part of probe team
M Zulqernain
Lahore, Sept 20 (PTI) Lawyers defending LeT
(Lashkar-e-Toiba) commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six
others charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks have
said that none of them will go to India as part of a proposed
commission to record the testimony of key witnesses, including
surviving attacker Ajmal Kasab.
"We will not go to India because of security concerns.
There has been hatred among the general public against Kasab,"
senior advocate Khwaja Sultan, the counsel for Lashker-e-Taiba
commander Lakhvi, told PTI.
Sultan noted that the lawyer of Fahim Ansari, one of
the Indians accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks, was
shot dead.
"We cannot risk our lives by going to India when we
are the counsel for the accused here," he said.
He claimed it would not be easy for the Indian
government to provide security to the proposed commission.
"We have also conveyed this to the judge," he said.
FIA's special prosecutor Chaudhry Zulifqar Ali told
PTI that a defence lawyer should be part of the commission as
there would be no problems related to security issues.
"The Indian government will ensure our security," he
said.
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency has filed an
application in the anti-terrorism court conducting the trial
of the seven accused seeking the formation of a commission to
go to India to record the statements of key witnesses,
including Kasab, a magistrate and a police officer.
The prosecution said in its application that a
representative of the defence lawyers should be made part of
the commission so that he could cross-examine the witnesses.
During the last hearing of the Mumbai attacks case on
Saturday, the anti-terrorism court asked the prosecution to
clarify if it had obtained permission from Indian authorities
for the proposed commission to visit the neighbouring country.
The next hearing of the case is scheduled for October
2.
Lakhvi and the six other suspects have been charged
with planning, facilitating and financing the attacks that
killed 166 people in November 2008. PTI MZ
Lahore, Sept 20 (PTI) Lawyers defending LeT
(Lashkar-e-Toiba) commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six
others charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks have
said that none of them will go to India as part of a proposed
commission to record the testimony of key witnesses, including
surviving attacker Ajmal Kasab.
"We will not go to India because of security concerns.
There has been hatred among the general public against Kasab,"
senior advocate Khwaja Sultan, the counsel for Lashker-e-Taiba
commander Lakhvi, told PTI.
Sultan noted that the lawyer of Fahim Ansari, one of
the Indians accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks, was
shot dead.
"We cannot risk our lives by going to India when we
are the counsel for the accused here," he said.
He claimed it would not be easy for the Indian
government to provide security to the proposed commission.
"We have also conveyed this to the judge," he said.
FIA's special prosecutor Chaudhry Zulifqar Ali told
PTI that a defence lawyer should be part of the commission as
there would be no problems related to security issues.
"The Indian government will ensure our security," he
said.
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency has filed an
application in the anti-terrorism court conducting the trial
of the seven accused seeking the formation of a commission to
go to India to record the statements of key witnesses,
including Kasab, a magistrate and a police officer.
The prosecution said in its application that a
representative of the defence lawyers should be made part of
the commission so that he could cross-examine the witnesses.
During the last hearing of the Mumbai attacks case on
Saturday, the anti-terrorism court asked the prosecution to
clarify if it had obtained permission from Indian authorities
for the proposed commission to visit the neighbouring country.
The next hearing of the case is scheduled for October
2.
Lakhvi and the six other suspects have been charged
with planning, facilitating and financing the attacks that
killed 166 people in November 2008. PTI MZ
