Islamabad: Pakistan’s anti-terrorism court resumed hearing of the 2008 Mumbai attacks case and summoned the last two Pakistani prosecution witnesses to record their statements. The resumption of the 10-year-old case is significant in view of the public admission of former PM Nawaz Sharif that 26/11 terror attacks were carried out by Pakistani terrorists and the civil-military leadership were responsible for the delay in the trial.
The court directed government officials to submit details regarding the availability of 27 Indian witnesses in the next hearing. “Despite repeated notices to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and ministries of interior and foreign affairs, it has not informed the court about the status of Indian witnesses since January 2016,” ATC judge Shahrukh Arjumand said.
“Now the case is in the final stages and only statements of two Pakistani officials have to be recorded. Therefore, notice be served upon director general FIA, secretary of interior and secretary for foreign affairs for submitting their final and concrete response in the court qua the availability of 27 Indian nationals so as to conclude the trial expeditiously,” the court said.The ATC, set up for speedy justice, has not been able to punish even a single Pakistani accused in the case. Last year, the prosecution had completed the testimonies of 68 Pakistani witnesses.
Security cover to Saeed restored
The government of Pakistan’s Punjab province has restored the security cover to of Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed citing threats to his life, almost a month after it was withdrawn on the order of the Supreme Court. “The policemen have been deployed again for the security of Hafiz Saeed on the order of (CM) Shahbaz Sharif’s Punjab government,” a senior official of the provincial government said. He said the decision was taken in the light of threats to the life of Saeed.
As the government restored Saeed’s security, he has withdrawn a petition he had filed in the Lahore high court to challenge the Punjab government’s earlier decision to withdraw his security. The Punjab government last month had withdrawn policemen deployed for the security of Saeed after the Supreme Court directed inspector-generals of Islamabad and all four provinces to take back security escorts from people who are not entitled to it. The chief justice, however, later directed the top provincial police officials to ensure the provision of security to all those who face genuine security threats.
