26/11 Mumbai attacks: Trial delayed in Islamabad court as judge hearing case 'busy'

Hearing in the trial of seven Mumbai terrorist attack accused, including mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, could not be held in a Pakistani anti-terrorism court as the judge was "busy" hearing another case on Wednesday.

"The judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad did not attend today's hearing at the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi as he was busy in other case proceedings," a court official said. He said the court office adjourned the hearing till December 9.

This was the third consecutive time when hearing in the case could not be held. Earlier, hearings on November 18 and 25 were not held as either the official witnesses summoned did not turn up in the court or the judge was on leave.

The trial of LeT operations commander Lakhvi, and Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Sadiq, Shahid Jamil, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum has been underway since 2009 for their alleged role in the Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people and injured more than 300.

Lakhvi secured bail in December last year and was subsequently released from the Adiala Jail this April after the Lahore High Court set aside the government's order to detain him under the Public Security Act. He is currently out on bail and living at an undisclosed location.