Pak anti-terror court told to redress 26/11 suspects' woes

A Pakistani anti-terror court conducting trial of seven suspects arrested for involvement in Mumbai attacks, including LeT's operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was today directed by Lahore High Court to take into account the views of the accused and redress their grievances.

The Rawalpindi-based bench of the Lahore High Court, which was hearing a petition filed by lawyers of the suspects challenging their indictment, said the anti-terror court should give the accused an opportunity to present their views.

The bench comprising Justices Khwaja Imtiaz Ahmed and Nasir Saeed directed the anti-terror court not to proceed further with the case without redressing the grievances of the accused.

The defence lawyers had claimed in the petition that the anti-terror court's move of indicting the suspects in the absence of their counsel was "illegal".

The high court bench responded to this contention by saying that there is no legal provision that requires the presence of lawyers during the indictment process.

However, the bench decided in the spirit of justice that the anti-terror court should address the reservations of the suspects and their lawyers.

The high court bench also disposed of the petition, which was filed yesterday by the defence lawyers.