Pak court allows 26/11 Mumbai attack boat inspection

A Pakistani counter-terrorism court on Wednesday allowed to inspect the suspected boat which could have been used to transport terrorists to India from Karachi port for the Mumbai attacks.

Anti-Terrorism Court judge Sohail Ikram was told by the Federal Investigation Agency that the suspected boat namely Al-Foz which could have been used by Ajmal Kasab and other suspects to Indian waters needed to be inspected at Karachi port as it was impossible to bring it to court premises.

The court approved the plea and adjourned the hearing until September 7. The court will also record the statement of a key witness Munir Ahmad on the same date.

Earlier, the ATC had directed the FIA to contact the India high commission in Islamabad to summon all 24 Indian witnesses in the Mumbai attack case.

Judge Sohail Ikram had ordered the FIA director general to approach the Indian high commission and submit a report in the next hearing.

At least 166 people were killed when gunmen attacked landmarks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, triggering a three-day fire fight. The government had asked the Indian government to send the witnesses to Pakistan to testify against the seven suspects.

Rehman Lakhvi and the other suspects — Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus Anjum — have been under trial in the ATC since 2009.

Earlier, Pakistan had asked India to allow all the witnesses in the case to appear before the ATC in an effort to conclude the ongoing trial.

The government had contacted the Indian government, asking it to send the witnesses to Pakistan to testify against the seven suspects including the alleged mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.