Pak court adjourns Lakhvi trial again till Feb 26

A Pakistani anti-terror court has adjourned the trial of seven suspects, including Lashkar-e-Tayiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case till February 26 after prosecutors sought more time for the Lahore high court to decide a related petition.

The prosecution team told anti-terrorism court judge Rana Nisar Ahmed during a hearing on Thursday that more time is 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 prosecutors told the judge they were hopeful that the petition would be listed by the high court for hearing next week, sources told PTI. The judge then adjourned the proceedings in the anti-terrorism court till February 26, the sources said.

The Federal Investigation Agency's plea was listed for hearing by the high court earlier this month but could not be taken up as the bench handling the petition was dissolved following the retirement of a judge. Judge Ahmed had earlier 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. Pakistani national Kasab was sentenced to death by a court in Mumbai for his role in the attacks that killed 166 people in November 2008. Ansari, an Indian national, was acquitted by the same court but 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.