Pak court frames charges against 26/11 suspects

A Pakistani anti-terror court on Wednesday framed charges against Lashkar-e-Tayiba's operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others for involvement in the Mumbai attacks and declared 16 people, including Ajmal Amir Kasab, as proclaimed offenders.

Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan, who is conducting the trial at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi for security reasons, formally charged the seven suspects, sources said, adding the accused protested against their indictment.

They said the judge also rejected bail plea of some of the accused, besides declaring 16 people as proclaimed offenders. Among those declared proclaimed offenders is Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive during the 26/11 strikes, and crew members of the two boats used by the attackers, sources said.

The indictment of the seven suspects by the Pakistani court came on the eve of the first anniversary of the attacks that had left 183 people dead. During the proceedings of the case earlier on Monday, lawyers defending the seven suspects had demanded that Kasab be brought to Pakistan to face trial with the other accused.

They had said that since Kasab was the lone surviving attacker and his confession to Indian authorities formed a crucial part of the case built up by Pakistani authorities against their clients, he should be brought to Pakistan to face trial.