Pak court adjourns 26/11 trial till Feb 17

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Friday adjourned the trial of Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks till February 17 after prosecutors sought more time for the Lahore high court to decide on a related petition.

The prosecution team told anti-terrorism court Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed that more time was needed for the high court to decide on its plea to declare lone surviving Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab and terror suspect Fahim Ansari as 'proclaimed offenders' or fugitives.

The Federal Investigation Agency's plea was listed for hearing by the high court on Thursday but could not be taken up as the bench handling the petition was dissolved following the retirement of a judge.

The high court is expected to notify a new bench to take up the matter. Judge Ahmed expressed concern at the delay caused by the FIA's petition in the high court and observed that there should not be any further delays, sources said.

The judge then adjourned proceedings in the anti-terrorism court till February 17.

Pakistani national Kasab was sentenced to death by a court in Mumbai for his role in the attacks on India's financial hub that killed 166 people in November 2008.

Ansari, an Indian national, was acquitted by the same court but he continues to be in custody in connection with other cases.

The FIA's petition asks the high court to declare Kasab and Ansari as proclaimed offenders, to issue non-bailable warrants for them and to de-link their trial from that of the seven Pakistani suspects.