Pak books Lakhvi, 6 others for 26/11
Islamabad, Nov. 25: A Pakistani court on Wednesday finally charged Lashkar-e-Tayyaba chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others with last year’s Mumbai terror attacks.
Lakhvi and the others were charged under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism act and criminal code, the BBC reported. Their lawyers said all seven pleaded not guilty. After initially denying that any Pakistani was involved in the slaughter of people in Mumbai a year ago, Islamabad started a crackdown in December. Pakistan announced in February that it had identified seven planners and facilitators.
The men were indicted at an anti-terrorism court in a high security prison in the city of Rawalpindi on the eve of the first anniversary of India’s worst militant attacks. All seven pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Among the seven indicted is also key LeT operative Zarar Shah.
“All seven of them have been indicted, including Lakhvi. The accused pleaded not guilty as the evidence does not support the charges,” lawyer Shahbaz Rajput said.
During the hearing on Monday, the defence lawyers had demanded that Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive during the 26/11 strikes, be brought to Pakistan to face trial with the other accused.
They maintained that Kasab’s confession to Indian authorities formed a crucial part of the case built up by Pakistani authorities against their clients and, therefore, he should be brought to Pakistan to face trial.
Kasab has admitted his Pakistani nationality and that he was trained by the LeT.
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Pakistan should change here afterwards as the current hearing charging seven persons including the commander of LeT for the Mumbai attack. The timing of the decree will get place in the history for the belated action but let it be noted for an excellent deviation of Pakistan’s stance on Peace,Justice and Internationalism.
Pakistan must move forward to gracefully handover all the 20 terrorists including the founder of LeT now heading JuD the new charity Organisation in disguise, Hafiz Sayeed, it will free the nation gripped under the terror mafia and will open new vistas for peaceful relationship with India.
It is to be noted that LeT had a free run all these years as it was nurtured by the Pak regime itself and even brainwashed people by conducting campaigns against India and recruited them in college campuses during 1990s until stopped after the 11/September/2001 U.S attacks.
We in India will be naturally sceptical on the hearings at makeshift court in Rawalpindi in the detention centre. May be the trial was videoed and can India demand for viewing the same? Now Pakistan says that it has discontinued support to LeT and only certain splinter groups are operating as scoundrel militants! The pace at which the regime is defeating them cast doubt whether they have distanced from LeT or not.
Our legal experts have to answer this…… We are exchanging evidence through ministries instead of law enforcing agencies. Will it complicate trials in Pakistan?
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