Court hears arguments on sending commission to India

Islamabad (PTI) - A Pakistani anti-terrorism
court conducting the trial of seven suspects in the 2008
Mumbai attacks Saturday adjourned the case for a fortnight
after hearing arguments on the government's proposal to send a
commission to India to interview key officials.
Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed of the Rawalpindi-based court
was told by defence lawyers during the in-camera proceedings
that the prosecution's application for sending a commission to
India had little relevance as the Lahore High Court had
already disallowed the use of the confessional statement of
Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker.
The defence lawyers questioned the "evidentiary value"
of any material that could be gathered by the proposed
commission and said it would be better if the Indian
officials, like the magistrate who recorded Kasab's statement,
were asked to appear in the Pakistani anti-terrorism court,
sources told PTI.
The defence further contended that the government, and
not the court, would make a final decision on sending the
commission to India, the sources said.
The defence lawyers argued that the matter had also
been complicated by India's proposal to send a commission to
Pakistan to interview suspects and witnesses, the sources
added.
The prosecution team sought more time to argue the
matter, saying a senior prosecution lawyer would present its
stance on the need for the commission to go to India at the
next hearing.
The judge, who conducted the hearing behind closed
doors at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, then adjourned the case
till May 28.
The prosecution had told the judge last year that it
was imperative for the commission to visit India and interview
certain officials in order to take forward the proceedings.
Defence lawyers had opposed the move even then, saying
there was no provision in Pakistani laws for constituting such
a commission.
Kasab has been convicted and sentenced to death by a
special court in India for his role in the attacks that killed
166 people in November 2008.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said last year that the
trial of the seven suspects, including Lashker-e-Taiba
commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, had stalled and it was
important for the proposed commission to visit India and
record the testimony of key officials.