Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi
New Delhi:
India is likely to allow Pakistani investigators to examine Indian witnesses to 26/11, including the doctors who conducted post-mortems on Pakistani terrorists shot during the Mumbai attacks.
166 people were killed after ten terrorists sailed into Mumbai from Karachi in November 2008. One of them, Ajmal Kasab, was caught alive and was recently sentenced to death by the Bombay High Court for waging war against India.
After 26/11, Pakistan-India talks were suspended. Recently, India and Pakistan took a significant step forward by agreeing to a round of talks in Delhi at the end of March which will be conducted by the Home Secretaries of both countries.
Today, Home Minister P Chidambaram said, "We just agreed to allow a commission to come to India to record the evidence of the Investigating Officer, the Magistrate, who recorded the statements, and some doctors, who conducted the post mortem. We are awaiting a reply to our questions," Chidambaram said.
India has been arguing that Pakistan has not taken action against some of the key terrorists involved with planning 26/11, including Hafiz Saeed, the head of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Pakistan's slow trial of seven people, including senior commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, has frustrated India.
Pakistan has, in turn, argued that it needs its lawyers to talk to Kasab to discuss his confession, recorded in the hours after his arrest. They say this will be a critical part of Lakhvi's trial.
A final call on whether a judicial commission from Pakistan will be allowed to talk to witnesses, lawyers and other medical experts who have participated in the 26/11 trial in India will be taken immediately after the bilateral talks in March.
Mr Chidambaram made it clear that India also wants Pakistan to reciprocate the gesture, and allow Indian investigators to question Pakistani suspects.
166 people were killed after ten terrorists sailed into Mumbai from Karachi in November 2008. One of them, Ajmal Kasab, was caught alive and was recently sentenced to death by the Bombay High Court for waging war against India.
After 26/11, Pakistan-India talks were suspended. Recently, India and Pakistan took a significant step forward by agreeing to a round of talks in Delhi at the end of March which will be conducted by the Home Secretaries of both countries.
Today, Home Minister P Chidambaram said, "We just agreed to allow a commission to come to India to record the evidence of the Investigating Officer, the Magistrate, who recorded the statements, and some doctors, who conducted the post mortem. We are awaiting a reply to our questions," Chidambaram said.
India has been arguing that Pakistan has not taken action against some of the key terrorists involved with planning 26/11, including Hafiz Saeed, the head of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Pakistan's slow trial of seven people, including senior commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, has frustrated India.
Pakistan has, in turn, argued that it needs its lawyers to talk to Kasab to discuss his confession, recorded in the hours after his arrest. They say this will be a critical part of Lakhvi's trial.
A final call on whether a judicial commission from Pakistan will be allowed to talk to witnesses, lawyers and other medical experts who have participated in the 26/11 trial in India will be taken immediately after the bilateral talks in March.
Mr Chidambaram made it clear that India also wants Pakistan to reciprocate the gesture, and allow Indian investigators to question Pakistani suspects.
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