Mumbai attack trial: New judge takes over in Pakistan

A Pakistani court today summoned four witnesses for cross examination in the trial of seven Pakistanis, including Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks, for July 6.
Judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi of The Anti-Terrorism Court, Islamabad, said he would hold the hearing next week within the closed doors of Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
Sources said the judge had refused to hold the hearing in Islamabad till the Nawaz Sharif government provided him a 'foolproof security' from his residence (Sialkot district) to court (Islamabad).
The case was shifted from an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi to a newly established anti-terrorism court in Islamabad two weeks ago.

Since it was the first hearing of Judge Zaidi, who replaced Judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman, he was briefed about the case by the defence lawyer Riaz Cheema.
Zaidi summoned four private witnesses - Hamza Bin Tariq, Muhammad Ali, Mohammad Saifullah Khan and Umer Draz Khan - who belong to the port city of Karachi for cross examination on the request of the defence for next Saturday.

In their testimony about three months ago, the witnesses had told the judge that one of the seven accused - Shahid Jamil Riaz - and 10 other people had bought 11 inflatable boats for 'fishing' but these persons never returned from sea with 'any fish'.

One of witnesses said he had sold the accused a Yamaha boat engine for Rs 1.6 lakh and another said he had sold the accused six pumps.
The witnesses also identified 10 men, including Amjad Khan and Atiqur Rehman, who were allegedly involved in planning and executing the Mumbai attacks on November 26, 2008 that left 166 people dead.
These 10 men were earlier declared "proclaimed offenders" or fugitives by the anti-terrorism court.