Thaindian News

Islamabad, Jan 30 (IANS) Pakistani investigators Saturday filed evidence against Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and his six associates for their alleged role in masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
The dossier of evidences was presented in a high security special anti-terrorism court in a Rawalpindi prison, according to sources privy to the development.

“Public prosecutors submitted the evidence against the seven accused before judge Malik Mohammed Akram Awan,” said a lawyer, who didn’t want to be identified because it was an in-camera trial.

The accused are currently in the Adiala prison and the trial is being conducted there only for security reasons. The seven accused are: Lakhvi, Zarar Shah, Abu al-Qama, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus Anjum.

The sources refused to divulge details but said the government had substantial evidence to prove Lakhvi and his associates’ involvement in the Mumbai carnage which killed 166 people. Nine of the 10 terrorists who had perpetrated the carnage were also killed. The men had allegedly sailed into the financial capital of India from the Pakistani port city of Karachi.

The trial was adjourned soon after the public prosecutors filed the evidence, the sources said. The next hearing is on Feb 13.

The accused were last year charged with planning and helping to execute the Mumbai assault, which has put in freeze bilateral ties between India and Pakistan.

New Delhi has expressed its dissatisfaction over the Pakistani investigation in the 26/11 attacks. Indian investigators believe that Laskhkar chief Haafiz Saeed was among the masterminds and should be prosecuted.

However, Pakistan has maintained that it does not have sufficient evidence to arrest Saeed. This is despite Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram repeatedly saying that enough proof indicting Saeed has been given to Pakistan in the form of dossiers.