Lashkar-e-Taiba operations commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and six others accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case will all be held individually responsible for the death of each of the 166 people in the bloodshed in 2008. “The seven suspects will be charged individually for the abetment to murder of each victim of the Mumbai attack case,” a senior court official of the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad said, quoting the verdict from Friday.
Two months ago, the prosecution had moved the court, seeking an amendment in the charges against the accused. It had said the change would “further strengthen the case against the suspects”. The prosecution had also requested that the autopsy reports of the 166 victims be included and that India should be asked to send the reports, PTI reported.
The last seven consecutive hearings in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case were adjourned without any proceedings. Pakistan has blamed India for the delay, saying the case could not move forward unless India responded to its request from three months ago to send all 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan to record statements in the trial court. Prosecution lawyers said the court had already recorded statements of all Pakistani witnesses in the case. The next hearing is scheduled for May 25.
As many as 166 people were killed, and at least 300 were injured after 10 Pakistani terrorists launched simultaneous attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. Besides Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum are the accused in the case. Lakhvi was released from jail on bail a year ago and is now living in undisclosed location. The six other suspects are in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi.
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