The defence lawyers told Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan of the Rawalpindi-based anti-terrorism court that the proposal to send the commission to India entailed a “high-level risk”, the Press Trust of India reported.
The lawyers made it clear that a representative of the defence lawyers would not join the commission due to “security concerns”, including the perceived threat in India to persons defending the Pakistani accused, sources said told a news agency.
Judge Awan, who is conducting the trial within the heavily guarded Adiala Jail for security reasons, took up several applications filed by the prosecution during Saturday’s hearing in the Mumbai attacks case.
One application sought the formation of a commission to visit India to record the testimony of 24 key witnesses, including the lone surviving attacker Kasab.
The second application sought the court’s permission for recording voice samples of the seven accused.
The defence lawyers opposed both applications, saying they went against the provisions of Pakistani laws. They also described the application for forming a commission to go to India as “premature“.
Judge Awan sought a clarification from the prosecution on whether the Indian government had given the go-ahead for the commission’s proposed visit to India.
He asked the prosecution to provide this information at the next hearing on October 2.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2010.
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