In a reversal from their earlier stand, lawyers defending the seven Pakistani suspects charged in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case told an anti-terrorism court on Saturday that they were willing to travel to India as part of a judicial commission that will quiz witnesses and officials.
Khwaja Sultan, counsel for Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the main accused in the Mumbai attacks case, informed anti-terrorism court judge Shahid Rafique that defence lawyers would go to India as part of the judicial commission.
“My junior Riaz Cheema and I are willing to be part of the commission,” he told the judge during the proceedings held in a Rawalpindi jail for security reasons.
Sultan had said on Friday that none of the defence lawyers would go to India with the commission due to security concerns. He had contended that the lawyers feared for their safety in India and that the accused would be unable to afford the expenses for the visit.
During Saturday’s proceedings, prosecutors presented the government notification regarding the constitution of the judicial commission to the court.
Judge Rafique asked the prosecution and defence lawyers to submit their passports and other documents to the court by December 17, so that arrangements could be made for their travel.
Sultan said that he agreed to join the commission as he was interested in questioning the Indian magistrate who had recorded the confessional statement of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker who had already been sentenced to death by a court in Mumbai. “Besides, the Pakistan government will make all arrangements for the visit by the defence lawyers,” Sultan said.
In a separate development, prosecutors filed another application in the court that reiterated their request for collecting voice samples of the seven accused.
The judge deferred arguments on the application till the next hearing.
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