A Pakistani anti-terror court today adjourned for a week the trial of seven men, including Lashker-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks as an application filed by them is pending with the Lahore High Court.
Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan of the anti-terror court was to begin recording evidence against the accused but adjourned the matter till January 23 in view of an application filed by Lakhvi in the Lahore High Court seeking the transfer of the case to another court.
"The case was adjourned as the transfer application filed by the accused is pending with the Lahore High Court," Shahbaz Rajput, a lawyer for some of the accused, said.
The trial is being conducted at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi due to security concerns.
At the last hearing on January 6, Judge Awan rejected applications seeking the acquittal of the seven suspects.
The court had then directed the prosecution to present evidence against the accused at today's hearing.
On January 12, Lakhvi filed an application in the Lahore High Court seeking the transfer of the case from Rawalpindi to an anti-terror court in Lahore due to a purported threat to his life.
Lakhvi's lawyer Khwaja Sultan contended that the LeT commander purportedly faced a threat to his life as a number of agents of the Indian spy agency Research and Analyses Wing were present in Rawalpindi.
