Kasab verdict paves way for Lakhvi & Co's acquittal: Lawyer

A lawyer defending the seven Pakistanis, including Lashkar-e-Taiba operations head Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, accused of involvement in the Mumbai attack today claimed that a Mumbai court's verdict against Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab would result in the dropping of the main charge against his clients.

The lawyer said he was confident that bail would now be granted to his clients under Pakistani laws.

"Our case in the Supreme Court for Lakhvi's acquittal has become much stronger after the Indian court's verdict," said Khwaja Sultan, counsel for Lakhvi.

Pakistani terrorist Ajmal, the lone surviving 26/11 gunman, was today convicted by a special sessions court in Mumbai for the audacious attack in 2008 that had left 166 people dead.

Sabauddin Ahmed and Faheem Ansari, who were accused of having prepared the maps of the terror targets for the Lashkar-e-Taiba, were acquitted of all charges as the Mumbai court said the evidence produced by the prosecution could not be relied upon.

"The main charge against Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, said to be the mastermind of the Mumbai carnage, was that of providing training and maps to the people involved in the attacks," Sultan told the Press Trust of India. "The Indian court acquitted both Fahim Ansari and Sabauddin, who were accused of providing maps to Kasab.

"This means the main charge against Lakhvi is no more."

Sultan said he would file an application seeking bail for Lakhvi in the anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of the seven suspects and was certain that bail would be granted after today's verdict in the Mumbai court.

He also said the possibility of the extradition of Ajmal or Ansari was now ruled out as an accused who is convicted or acquitted cannot be re-tried in Pakistan under the country's laws.

"Under section 403 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a person cannot be tried twice for the same offence if he or she is convicted or acquitted," Sultan said.

He said that under Article 13 of the Constitution of Pakistan, too, a person could not be convicted twice for the same offence.

"Now Pakistan is not in a position to press India to extradite Kasab," he claimed.

The Pakistani anti-terrorism court recently issued arrest warrants for Ajmal and Ansari. The Pakistani government, too, has asked Interpol to issue red-corner notices for the duo.

The case is expected to be taken up by the apex court in the coming days. The seven accused — Lakhvi, Zarar Shah, Abu al-Qama, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum — have been booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Pakistan Penal Code, and a cyber crimes law.

They were formally charged last year with planning and helping execute the assault on India's financial hub in November 2008 that killed nearly 166 people.

They have been accused of training and providing financial support, accommodation, equipment, and communications gear to the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai in November 2008.