Mumbai attacks: Petition filed to include postmortem reports

The prosecution in the Mumbai attacks case today sought to bolster charges against the seven LeT suspects including its operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi by incorporating the individual postmortem reports of the 166 victims of the 2008 terror attack.
The prosecution filed a petition in the anti-terrorism court to include the postmortem reports of terror attack victims to amend charges against the suspects, a court official told PTI.
"The prosecution has filed an application in the Anti- Terrorism Court Islamabad with regard to amendment in the charges against the seven accused of banned LeT. Since the (seven) suspects are already facing abetment to murder, the inclusion of postmortem reports of 166 victims of the Mumbai attacks is necessary in the charges," a court official told PTI.

The official said Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Operations commander Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum are accused of abetment to murder, attempted murder, and planning and executing the terror attacks on India's financial capital on November 26, 2008.
"The amendment in the charges has been sought for further strengthening the case against the suspects. The suspects should be charged with abetment to murder of each individual in the Mumbai attacks case. Each victim's name should be included in the charges against each suspect," the court official said.
He added the court has issued a notice to the defence lawyers for arguments in the next hearing.

The court office will fix the next date of hearing as coming Wednesday (March 23) is a public holiday in connection with Pakistan Day.

The Mumbai case hearing is usually held every Wednesday.
In the last hearing on March 16, the prosecution told the trial court that Pakistan was waiting for a reply from the Indian government about sending (Indian) witnesses to Pakistan for recording of their statements.
Theforeign ministry of Pakistan haswritten to the Indian government asking it to send all 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan for recording statements in the trial court.
Earlier, Prosecution Chief Chaudhry Azhar said that the trial court had already completed recording the statements of all (Pakistani) witnesses in the case which has been underway in the country for more than six years.

"Now the ball is in India's court. The Indian government should send all Indian witnesses of the Mumbai case to Pakistan to record their statements so that the trial could further move ahead," he had said.
Last month, the trial court had ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to present all 24 Indian witnesses (in the court) to record their statements.
It had also ordered to bringthe boat(s) used by Ajmal Kasab as it is a case property and should be duly examined.
Lakhvi, the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, is living at a undisclosed location after getting released from jail on bail in April last year.

The other six suspects are in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi.