For the second time, four witnesses failed to appear before a Pakistani anti-terrorism court to record their statement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case, prompting an annoyed judge to re-summon them.
"Four witnesses - both official and private - were to appear in the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad which held its hearing at Adiala Jail Rawalpindi yesterday. But they did not appear and no reason was given to the court in this regard," a court official told PTI today.
"They had also not appeared in a previous hearing. The judge expressed his annoyance and re-summoned them for next hearing," the official said.
The court adjourned the hearing till Wednesday.
Earlier, aprosecution lawyer said that the prosecution would challenge in the Lahore High Court the rejection of its plea by the trial court to form a commission to examine the boat used by Mumbai attackers.
"We are going to challenge the trial court's decision to reject our plea regarding formation of a commission to examine the boat - Al-Fauz - used by alleged terrorists of Mumbai attacks in the Lahore High Court," he said.
He said the prosecution believes that the boat is "case property" and it needs a government commission to examine and endorsement in this respect.
On January 13 hearing, the court dismissed the plea of the prosecution.
According to the Federal Investigation Agency, the alleged attackers used three boats includingAl Fauz to reach Mumbai from Karachi.
It said the security agencies had also traced the shop and its owner from where the culprits bought the engine and the boat while a bank and a money exchange company were also traced which were used for the transaction of money.
The multiple attacks in Mumbai killed 166 people.
Pakistani authorities arrested seven Lashkar-e-Taiba members involved in the planning of the attacks including the terrorist group's operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of the Mumbai attack.
Six accused -- Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum -- have been in Adiala Jail for more than six years in connection with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in November, 2008, that left 166 people killed.
Lakhvi, 56, secured bail in December, 2014, and was subsequently released from Adiala Jail on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore High Court set aside the government's order to detain him under a public security act.
A case has been underway against them in the ATC since 2009 for their alleged role in the Mumbai attacks.
The courts are observing an over a month-long summer
holidays and only the cases of very important nature will be heard during the vacation period.
According to the Federal Investigation Agency, the attackers used three boats, including Al Fauz, to reach Mumbai from Karachi.
It said the security agencies had also traced the shop and its owner from where the culprits bought the engine and the boat while a bank and a money exchange company were also traced which were used for the transaction of money.
The 10 LeT militants had left Karachi on the boat on November 23, 2008.
En route to their destination, they hijacked another boat, killing four of its crew.
They forced the vessel's captain to take them close to the Indian shores. The captain was killed when the vessel reached Mumbai's coast.
The Mumbai attack case is facing inordinate delay as no proceedings practically have been held for more than three months.
The Mumbai case hearing is scheduled to be held once a week.
Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum are accused of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack.
Lakhvi is living at an undisclosed location after he got released from jail on bail a year ago. The other six suspects are in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi.
The case has been going on in the country for more than six years.
