An anti-terrorism court today adjourned the trial of seven suspects charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks till March 2 after prosecutors said they would submit an assurance from the Indian government that a Pakistani judicial commission will be allowed to cross-examine Indian witnesses.
The Pakistani commission is set to make a second visit to Mumbai to record the statements of four key witnesses as the anti-terrorism court rejected a report submitted after its first visit on the ground that members of the panel were not allowed to cross-examine the witnesses.
Khwaja Haris Ahmed, the counsel for Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, had filed two applications in the court.
One sought the quashing of an earlier agreement between the Pakistani and Indian governments that barred the cross-examination of witnesses and the other sought the cancellation of an order of the Bombay High Court that placed a bar on cross-examination.
Chief prosecutor Chaudhry Zulifqar Ali argued during today's hearing that the Indian government had allowed the cross-examination of witnesses and the previous agreement between the two countries did not any bearing on the judicial commission's planned visit.
However, Ahmed insisted that a "written document" from the Indian government about the cross-examination of witnesses should be presented in court.
Ali said he would submit a "written assurance" from the Indian government at the next hearing.
