166 people were killed when terrorists attacked key landmarks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. (Agence France-Presse photo)
The Pakistan government has moved court to challenge a ruling that rejected a commission to examine the boat used by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists to reach India for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The government today challenged the rejection the prosecution's plea by a trial court to form the commission in the Islamabad High Court.
"We have challenged the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Islamabad's decision to reject our plea regarding formation of a commission to examine the boat - Al-Fauz - used by alleged terrorists of Mumbai attacks in the Islamabad High Court," Prosecution Chief Chaudhry Azhar told Press Trust of India.
He said the court office would fix the date of hearing. According to the petition, the boat should be made "case property".
"A government commission should be formed to examine the boat which is in custody of the authorities in port city of Karachi is an essential part of evidence against the seven accused" against whom the trial is underway, it says.
The ATC on January 13 had dismissed the plea of the prosecution to form a commission to examine the boat.
Al-Fauz is in the custody of the Pakistani authorities in the port city of Karachi, from where the 10 militants, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and hand grenades, had left for India to carry out the Mumbai attack in 2008.
According to the Federal Investigation Agency, the 10 militants - armed with AK-47 assault rifles and hand grenades - used three boats including Al Fauz to reach Mumbai from the port city of Karachi to carry out the attack in 2008.
It said the security agencies had also traced the shop and its owner from where the culprits bought the engine and the boat while a bank, and a money exchange company were also traced which were used for the transaction of money.
The 10 LeT militants had left Karachi on the boat on November 23, 2008. En route, they hijacked another boat, killing four of its crew. They allegedly forced the vessel's captain to take them close to the India shores. The captain was killed when the vessel reached Mumbai's coast.