Commission to interrogate witnesses in India: ATC

Judicial panel was earlier denied permission to cross-examine witnesses.

ISLAMABAD:

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) ordered the interior ministry on Thursday to send a judicial commission to India for the interrogation of witnesses in the Mumbai attacks case.

ATC Judge Atiqur Rehman issued the orders in response to an application submitted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor, Chaudhry Azhar, for an early hearing of the case.

Indian authorities had given a written consent to their Pakistani counterparts to visit India and cross-examine the witnesses, Azhar told the court. “The Indian High Court chief justice has also given permission,” he added.

The court directed the ministry and the National Crisis and Management Cell (NCMC) director general to make arrangements to send the commission to India and adjourned the hearing until August 20.

Earlier, an eight-member panel from Pakistan had visited Mumbai in April 2012 to cross-examine four key witnesses of Mumbai attack case, in compliance with the ATC’s order. However, the Mumbai High Court chief justice had denied permission to the panel through a judicial verdict. However, later on, a three-member commission from India, comprising the additional secretary and the chief prosecutor general of the Mumbai attacks’ case, visited Pakistan in December 2012, when it was agreed that the Pakistani panel would also be allowed to cross-examine the witnesses.

The proceedings of the Mumbai case had come to a halt following the assassination of the public prosecutor, Chaudhry Zulfiqar.  The new prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar was reluctant to appear before the court citing ‘threats to his life’.

Azhar also informed the court that he had not been provided security since the case was transferred to ATC, Islamabad, after which the court directed authorities concerned to provide him with security.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2013.