Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Zakiur Rehman
Lakhvi masterminded the Mumbai attacks on November 26, 2008 with Hafiz Saeed.
Pakistani courts have already allowed Hafiz Saeed to roam free even if he carries
US$ 10 million bounty on his head by the US. For Pakistan, he is asocial activist
sort of person. Lakhvi is LeT’s operations commander. He is also out on the
bail due to the deliberate acts (conscious acts of negligence) of Pakistan.
The court in a sham trial, sham
so far as the reasons behind adjournments show, is trying seven accused in the
case - Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Mazhar Iqbal, Abdul Wajid, Shahid
Jameel Riaz, Younis Anjum and Jamil Ahmed.
The adjournment chronology so far
(that makes the whole trial a sham) – of a trial that began in early 2009:
July 23, 2015: An anti-terrorism
court of Pakistan adjourned again the 26/11 trial of the seven accused in the Mumbai
attacks case of November 26, 2008 to the next day as the judge was on leave.
July 16, 2015: The judge was on
summer vacation.
July 8, 2015: The trial was adjourned
till the next date as the judge was on leave.
May 13, 2015: The court adjourned
the trial as the required documents were not presented.
December 3, 2014: The judge in
the case was on leave as ‘he was not well’.
October 15, 2014: The judge
trying the case was transferred – seventh one to be transferred in the case.
October 1, 2014: The trial was adjourned
as the judge was on leave.
July 23, 2014: The trial was adjourned
as the judge was on leave.
July 2, 2014: The trial adjourned
as the prosecution lawyers did not appear.
June 25, 2014: The trial was adjourned
as the judge was on leave. A PTI headline said the judge was ‘not feeling well’.
June 18, 2014: Prosecution
lawyers did not appear.
June 4, 2014: Prosecution lawyers
did not appear.
May 28, 2014: Prosecution lawyers
did not appear.
December 22, 2012: The trial was adjourned
as defence and prosecution lawyers did not appear.
October 13, 2012: The judge was
on leave - due to his health problems this time.
These are just few instances that
show how negligent Pakistan has been about the Mumbai attacks trial. Most of
the time, either the judge is on leave or the lawyers don’t appear in a case
that drew global outrage. Barack Obama even warned Nawaz Sharif on the slow pace
of 26/11 trial in Pakistan.
The trial that began more than
six years ago has reached nowhere – because it is intended to so. Empty rhetoric
and denials are Pakistan’s favourite pastime in the case.
Continuing the tradition, after a
much talked about Narendra Modi-Nawaz Sharif joint statement on July 10 in Ufa,
the Russian city where BRICS and SCO summits where held, Pakistan again made a
U-turn saying the evidence provided in the case so far by India was of no use.
For long, India has been
demanding voice samples of the accused and it reflected in the joint statement
as well. But Pakistan didn’t react the next day when Lakhvi’s lawyer said his
client won’t give his voice samples. Echoing Pakistani establishment sentiments,
a prosecution lawyer in the case further said Lakhvi’s voice samples were not
admissible in the court.
Pakistan was always looking to water
down the case. The developments in the case so far and the latest developments
only confirm this.
©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/
