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India-Pakistan

India willing to share Mumbai attack evidence with Pakistan

2016-09-17

[DAWN] The Foreign Office on Friday said India has expressed its readiness to share material evidence regarding the Mumbai attacks with Pakistain. "In reply to the Foreign Secretary of Pakistain’s letter, dated September 8, 2015, the Indian Foreign Secretary, in his letter of September 6, 2016, has expressed India’s readiness to share the material evidence, which Pakistain had been seeking for quite some time for the Mumbai trial," said Nafees Zakaria, spokesperson for the Foreign Office. The spokesperson added that the material evidence and cross examination of prosecution witnesses is needed to proceed further with the trial in Pakistain as per the law of the land. "Legal aspects and modalities of the proposal contained in the Indian Foreign Secretary’s letter are current being examined by our legal experts," elaborated Zakaria. Earlier in August, the arrest of an alleged financier of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks has been termed a breakthrough in the otherwise stalled case, but it may delay the conclusion of the trial pending in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) since 2009. In January, Islamabad asked the Indian government to send the 24 witnesses to Pakistain to testify against the seven suspects, including Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi ...an asset of the Pak govt and a big turban in Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is actually a redundant statement. Zak was the criminal mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attack. Despite what India's provided there is not enough evidence in this world for a Pak court to convict him or even to keep him in the calaboose for very long... , the alleged criminal mastermind of the attacks. Lakhvi and the other suspects -- Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus Anjum -- are being tried by the ATC in Islamabad. The prosecution completed the testimony of the 68 Pak witnesses earlier this year.

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India-Pakistan

26/11:'financier' gave Rs 4 mn to LeT; sent to JC

2016-08-23

[PTINEWS] The alleged financier of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, who supplied nearly Rs 4 million to the LeT men, has been sent to judicial remand after the Pak anti-terrorism court hearing the case did not allow the FIA to have his custody for more days. Sufayan Zafar has joined the other six suspects - Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Mohammad Younis Anjum - in the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where they are lodged since 2009. Lashkar-e-Taiba ...the Army of the Pure, an Ahl-e-Hadith terror organization founded by Hafiz Saeed. LeT masquerades behind the Jamaat-ud-Dawa facade within Pakistain and periodically blows things up and kills people in India. Despite the fact that it is banned, always an interesting concept in Pakistain, the organization remains an blatant tool and perhaps an arm of the ISI... (LeT) operations commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, the criminal mastermind of the Mumbai attack, is living at some holy man's guesthouse an undisclosed location after being released from jail on bail over a year ago. The anti-terrorism court sent Zafar on the judicial remand on Saturday noting that the Federal Investigation Agency had been given enough time to probe the suspect, a source in the FIA told PTI today. He is accused of providing Rs 3.98 million to co-accused Riaz through account no. 2338-2 of the Moslem Commercial Bank's Drigh Road branch in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... and account no. 2464-0 of the Allied Bank's Drigh Colony branch in Karachi prior to the Mumbai terror attack. During interrogation by the FIA, he was quizzed over providing millions of rupees to the suspected holy warriors of the Mumbai attack case, his relations with them and other absconding suspects, the source said. "The FIA has interrogated Zafar for providing financial assistance to the co-accused in the Mumbai case besides his connection with the holy warriors and the LeT. He was also interrogated for the channel/source from which he got the huge sum of money to provide it to the co-accused," he said. Zafar was absconding after being declared proclaimed offender in the Mumbai case. He was tossed in the slammer Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! early this month (on August 3 or 4) from his hideout in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... province. A resident of Gujrawala district of Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard 2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers 3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... - some 80 kms from Lahore, Zafar is among 21 other absconding suspects wanted in this high-profile case. According to court documents, the other suspects who allegedly arranged funds for the attacks include undertrial Ahmed and Anjum and proclaimed offenders Mohammad Usman Zia, Mukhtar Ahmed, Abbas Nasir and Javed Iqbal. The FIA wanted more time to investigate him further, the source said, adding that the agency would indict him along with the seven other suspects of the case in the trial court after completing his challan. The trial court will resume the hearing of the case on September 7 after over a month-long court summer vacation. Defence lawyers are of the view that indicting Zafar along with the seven accused may further delay the conclusion of the case, which has been pending in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) since 2009, due to repeating the exercise of cross- examining witnesses in the light of the new arrest.

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India-Pakistan

Official summoned in Mumbai attack case

2016-07-24

[DAWN] ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday summoned a director general (DG) of foreign ministry to brief the court on the efforts the ministry had made with regard to the production of 24 Indian prosecution witnesses in Mumbai attack case. ATC judge Sohail Ikram ordered the DG of South Asia Desk to appear in court on July 27. During the hearing, the ATC judge asked the FIA officials about their progress on procuring the attendance of Indian witnesses. The FIA officials informed the court that they could not directly interact with the Indian High Commission for summoning of witnesses as it was South Asian Desk of the foreign affairs ministry’s job. Earlier, Pakistain asked India to allow 24 witnesses in the case to appear before ATC in Islamabad in an effort to conclude the trial. The Indian government was asked to send the witnesses to Pakistain to testify against the seven suspects, including the alleged criminal mastermind, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi ...an asset of the Pak govt and a big turban in Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is actually a redundant statement. Zak was the criminal mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attack. Despite what India's provided there is not enough evidence in this world for a Pak court to convict him or even to keep him in the calaboose for very long... The ATC has been trying Lakhvi and the other suspects including Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus Anjum since 2009.

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India-Pakistan

Voice samples of Lakhvi in the limelight

2015-07-19

[DAWN] The voice samples of Ziaur Rehman Lakhvi are in the limelight once again since the Ufa meeting but it's an issue that the FIA has been following for the past few years, even though the Agency now claims that they are irrelevant to the trial. After having pursued the matter for four years, the FIA now says the voice samples cannot be used as evidence. "Though it might be helpful in the course of investigation but the audio allegedly recorded by the Indian Intelligence cannot be used as evidence as there is no law under which the authenticity of the voice could be proved", a senior prosecutor in the Mumbai attacks case told Dawn. He said that though the existing laws permitted the use of electronic evidence, there is no provision under which an accused can be forced to provide an audio recording of his voice which can then be matched with available samples. This view was also echoed by prosecutor Mohammad Azhar Chaudhry who in a telephonic interview to some Indian channels after the Ufa meeting categorically stated that "the issue of voice sample is over now." Prime minister's adviser on national security and foreign affairs after the Ufa meeting has reportedly said that Pakistain needs more information and evidence to conclude the (Mumbai) trial. These statements were made because the Indian side brought up the Lakhvi trial in Ufa, including the issue of matching the voice samples. However, a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... the FIA was counting on these voice samples a mere four years ago. In 2011, the Agency went to the IHC to obtain the voice samples of Lakhvi and his co-accused Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum currently confined in Adiala Jail. The petition is still pending in the IHC. The IHC division bench on September 12, 2012 dismissed the petition for "non prosecution" -- in other words, the FIA was not pursuing this matter. However, a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... after the dismissal the FIA woke up again and its prosecutor filed a revised petition before the court once again asking the court to order the suspects to provide their voice samples.

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India-Pakistan

Lakhvi will not provide voice samples to India, says lawyer

2015-07-13

[DAWN] Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi ...an asset of the Pak govt and a big turban in Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is actually a redundant statement. Zak was the criminal mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attack. Despite what India's provided there is not enough evidence in this world for a Pak court to convict him or even to keep him in the calaboose for very long... , the alleged criminal mastermind of the Mumbai attacks in 2008, has refused to provide voice samples to India in relation to an investigation to indict him for involvement in the terror attacks on Indian soil, Hindustan Times reported on Sunday. Lakhvi's lawyer -- Rizwan Abbasi -- told the Indian media outlet that according to Pakistain's laws, the accused's consent was necessary for a voice sample. "My client has refused in the past and will refuse again," said Abbasi. The development comes only a couple of days after Pakistain's and India's premiers released a joint statement from Russia, vowing to expedite proceedings of the Mumbai attack case among other sticking points. Lakhvi was released from Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail in April this year, after a court ordered dismissal of detention orders issued against him by the Okara DCO on March 14. The Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard 2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers 3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... government had previously maintained that Lakhvi was detained based on 'sensitive information' provided by intelligence agencies. India condemned Lakhvi's release deeming it an "insult" to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attack. "This is a very disappointing announcement. An insult to the victims of 26/11 Mumbai attack. The global community should take serious note of Pakistain's double-speak on terrorism," said an Indian home ministry spokesperson who asked not to be named. Lakhvi is among the seven persons charged with planning and helping carry out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The six other men facing trial in Adiala Jail for their alleged involvement in Mumbai attacks are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid. At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-e-Taiba (LT) that has been accused by India of carrying out the attacks in India's financial capital.

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India-Pakistan

India condemns release of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi

2015-04-11

[DAWN] India condemned Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi ...an asset of the Pak govt and a big turban in Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is actually a redundant statement. Zak was the criminal mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attack. Despite what India's provided there is not enough evidence in this world for a Pak court to convict him or even to keep him in the calaboose for very long... 's release deeming it an "insult" to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attack. “This is a very disappointing announcement. An insult to the victims of 26/11 Mumbai attack. The global community should take serious note of Pakistan's double-speak on terrorism,” said an Indian home ministry spokesperson who asked not to be named. Pakistan annuls India's criticism Pakistan, while reacting to Indian remarks over Lakhvi’s release, said it would not be proper to cast aspersions on Pakistan’s commitment to countering terrorism at a time when Pakistan has entered a critical stage of defeating the menace of terrorism. Answering the concerns of Indian ministry spokesman, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasneem Alsam reminded India that the case of Mumbai attack suspects is subjudice. She said “inordinate delay in extending cooperation by India complicated the case and weakened the prosecution”. "We respect the judicial process and are confident that it would serve the interest of justice," she said. Lakhvi is among the seven persons charged with planning and helping carry out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The six other men facing trial in Adiala Jail for their alleged involvement in Mumbai attacks are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid. At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-i-Taiba (LT) that has been accused by India of carrying out the attacks in India's financial capital. Lakhvi along with Zarar Shah was allegedly the key planner of the attack that killed 166 people.

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India-Pakistan

Lahore High Court orders Lakhvi's release

2015-04-10

[DAWN] The Lahore High Court on Thursday dismissed the detention orders of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi ...an asset of the Pak govt and a big turban in Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is actually a redundant statement. Zak was the criminal mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attack. Despite what India's provided there is not enough evidence in this world for a Pak court to convict him or even to keep him in the calaboose for very long... , one of the key accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case, and ordered his release. The court was hearing a petition of Lakhvi challenging his fourth one-month detention ordered by the Okara DCO on March 14. The Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard 2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers 3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... government had previously maintained the stance that Lakhvi has been detained based on 'sensitive information' provided by intelligence agencies. Justice Anwarul Haq had directed the government's counsel to submit records of the information to the court, which was also presented in the Islamabad High Court in the past based on which the IHC had ordered Lakhvi's bail. The court upheld the stance that if this sensitive information was reliable, the IHC would not have accepted Lakhvi's bail. Therefore, the LHC ordered Lakhvi's release based on the lack of reliability of the sensitive information provided and directed the accused to play Rs20 lakhs in surety bonds to Adiala jail. Lakhvi is among the seven persons charged with planning and helping carry out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The six other men facing trial in Adiala Jail for their alleged involvement in Mumbai attacks are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid. At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-e-Taiba (LT) that has been accused by India of carrying out the attacks in India's financial capital. Lakhvi along with Zarar Shah was allegedly the key planner of the attack that killed 166 people.

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India-Pakistan

LHC rejects Lakhvi's petition challenging detention order

2015-03-21

[DAWN] The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday rejected Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's petition challenging the detention order against him. Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa said after the hearing that in light of recent circumstances, it is possible that releasing Lakhvi could cause turmoil in the country. Lakhvi had filed a petition with the Lahore High Court challenging the detention order passed against him by the Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard 2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers 3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... home department. The petition filed earlier through Advocate Rizwan Abbasi prayed to the court to set aside the detention of Lakhvi for being illegal and a violation of Islamabad High Court (IHC) order. On Mar 13, 2015 the third time detention orders on Lakhvi were declared void by the IHC ─ a day after which the Punjab home department reordered his detention. Lakhvi is among the seven persons charged with planning and helping carry out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The six other men facing trial in Adiala Jail for their alleged involvement in Mumbai attacks are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid. At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) that has been accused by India of carrying out the attacks in India's financial capital. Lakhvi, along with Zarar Shah, was allegedly the key planner of the attack that killed 166 people.

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India-Pakistan

Govt challenges Lakhvi's bail in IHC

2015-01-04

[DAWN] The government on Friday challenged the bail of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi -- the alleged criminal mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks -- in the Islamabad High Court today. Earlier on Dec 18, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had granted bail to Lakhvi. However, today is that tomorrow you were thinking about yesterday... the federal government had extended his detention in the Adiala Jail under the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance. Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutors Chaudhry Azhar and Hussain Pirzada petitioned to the court today, saying that the ATC had ignored testimony in the case while granting bail to Lakhvi. The application said there is solid testimony available against Lakhvi despite of which the ATC had sanctioned his bail, and pleaded that it should be rejected. The petition also alleged that Lakhvi's counsels had caused a delay in the case's proceedings. Lakhvi is among the seven persons charged with planning and helping carry out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The six other men facing trial in Adiala Jail for their alleged involvement in Mumbai attacks are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid.

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India-Pakistan

Mumbai attack 'mastermind' Lakhvi detained under MPO

2014-12-19

[DAWN] Alleged criminal mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi who was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad yesterday has been detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail. A senior government source told Dawn that the government has also decided to appeal against the approval of Lakhvi's bail in superior courts. The ATC had ordered the release of Lakhvi after his post-arrest bail plea was accepted and Judge Syed Kausar Abbas Zaidi had set Lakhvi's bail at Rs1 million. The decision drew a sharp reaction from India and surprised many with its unfortunate timing, coming just days after one of the deadliest terror attacks the country has ever seen. Lakhvi is among the seven persons charged with planning and helping carry out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The six other men facing trial in Adiala Jail for their alleged involvement in Mumbai attacks are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid. At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-e-Taiba (LT) that has been accused by India of carrying out the attacks in India's financial capital. Lakhvi along with Zarar Shah was allegedly the key planner of the attack that killed 166 people. The acceptance of his bail plea had come as Pakistain was mourning the deaths of school children and other victims of Tuesday's Taliban massacre and New Delhi had made a visible effort to show solidarity with Islamabad. The massacre and the reaction to it was followed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... 's lifting of the moratorium imposed on capital punishment in the country.

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India-Pakistan

ATC approves bail of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in Mumbai attacks case

2014-12-18

[DAWN] Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, one of the main accused in the Mumbai attacks case, was granted bail on Thursday by an anti-terrrorism court. The Federal Investigation Agency's prosecutor disagreed with the bail plea. However, there's more than one way to skin a cat... Advocate Rizwan Abbasi, the lawyer representing Lakhvi, stood before the court as the bail was approved. The court has directed Lakhvi to pay surety bonds worth Rs500,000 before he can be released on bail. Lakhvi is among the seven persons charged with planning and helping carry out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The six other men facing trial in Adiala Jail for their alleged involvement in Mumbai attacks are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid. At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) that has been accused by India of carrying out the attacks in India's financial capital. Lakhvi along with Zarar Shah was allegedly the key planner of the attack that killed 166 people. The acceptance of his bail plea came as Pakistain is mourning the deaths of school children and other victims of Tuesday's Taliban massacre and New Delhi has made a visible effort to show solidarity with Islamabad. The proceedings of the case began in 2009 at the ATC in Rawalpindi and the case was transferred to the ATC in Islamabad the next year. In April this year however, proceedings came to a virtual standstill as special judge of the ATC expressed his inability to conduct the trial of the seven suspects due to security reasons. This came following a terrorist attack on the district courts in Islamabad in the month of March.

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India-Pakistan

Trial of Mumbai attacks case suspects stalled

2014-04-05

[DAWN] ISLAMABAD: The proceeding in the Mumbai attacks case has come to a standstill as the special judge of the anti-terrorism court (ATC) has expressed his inability to conduct the trial of seven Pak suspects in the Adiala Jail due to security reasons. Since March 3, when snuffies attacked the district courts in Islamabad, there has been no progress on the trial with the ATC unable to complete the cross examination of even a single witness, sources close to the proceedings told Dawn. They said ATC Judge Atiqur Rehman had stopped going to the Adiala Jail for the trial of the suspects. The Adiala Jail is about 30 kilometres away from the ATC located in the special court complex at sector G-11/4. The suspects are: the alleged criminal mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus Anjum. The case is related to the killing of 166 people in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008 by snuffies who New Delhi claims had support of the Pak suspects. The proceedings commenced in the ATC Rawalpindi in 2009. The case was transferred to the ATC Islamabad last year. After the district courts attack on March 3 in which 12 people, including an additional district and sessions judge, were killed, the ATC judge demanded that the federal government should deploy Rangers for his security. However, some men learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves... the government seems reluctant to provide the requisite security to the judge. The court was hearing the matter on a weekly basis but there has been no development at all for the last four weeks, the sources said, adding on April 2 the ATC only summoned a single witness Mohammad Ali but the defence counsel, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, raised objection to his statement. According to sub-section 7 of section 19 of the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997, which defines the procedure and power of the ATC, "the court shall proceed with the trial on a daily basis and decide the case within seven working days." The law further says that if the court does not meet this deadline, an application may be made to the administrative judge of the high court concerned to pass "appropriate directions" to ensure "expeditious disposal of the case to meet the end of justice." Advocate Abbasi, who is representing Lakhvi and other suspects, when contacted, confirmed that there was no progress on the case for about a month. He said the federal government was responsible for the delay as the ATC judge had refused to conduct the jail trial of the accused persons because of security reasons. "Had the federal government provided the requisite security to the judge, the proceedings would not have been delayed," he added. It may be mentioned that out of about 60 witnesses, the ATC has so far completed cross examination of 32 prosecution witnesses. Advocate Mohammad Azhar Chaudhry, the special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), on the other hand, said the prosecution was trying to complete the trial as early as possible. He said owing to the threats and delay in the trial, it has been decided that instead of going to the Adiala Jail the judge would exempt the accused from attending the proceedings and record their statements in his courtroom. According to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the presence of the accused during the recording of statements and cross-examination of the witnesses is mandatory. The court, however, has the power to exempt the attendance of the accused on justifiable grounds.

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