This story is from April 29, 2018

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LAHORE: Pakistan's interior ministry has abruptly removed the chief prosecutor from the Mumbai terror attack case for "not taking the government line", an official said on Sunday, in a major setback to India's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 people and injuring over 300 in November 2008."The Interior Ministry has removed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar , who had been representing as chief of prosecution in the Mumbai attack case since 2009, from the high-profile case," an official of the FIA privy to the development told PTI.Azhar has been told that his services in the Mumbai attack case are no more required, he said."Azhar has only been separated from the Mumbai attack case. However, he will continue to representing the state in other cases like Benazir assassination," he said.He developed differences with the government over the "manner" the case was being pursued, the official said."The government has its own 'special consideration' in this case and Azhar perhaps is not taking the government line. He was keen to follow the high profile case by book," the official tried to explain the possible reasons of the differences between the chief prosecutor and the ruling PML-N government.When contacted, Azhar only confirmed that he was asked to stop pursuing the Mumbai attack case."I am no more with this case," he said.The government offered no explanation of the decision, terming it a routine matter."It seems to be a routine matter. I will have to talk to the relevant persons to know the reason," an official of interior ministry said.The Mumbai attack case has entered into the 10th year but none of its suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet, showing that the case had never been in the priority list of the country that appears to be keen to put it under the carpet.The weekly hearing in this case hardly takes place since the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has completed the statement of all (70) prosecution witnesses.According to the prosecution, the case may not further proceed till the Indian government sends its 24 witnesses to Pakistan to record their statements.Pakistan has written to India in this regard. India replied that Pakistan must put Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on trial based on the evidence it had provided to it.A number of Pakistani witnesses both official and private testified and provided evidence against the seven accused... but still the Pakistani authorities have been insisting on sending Indian witnesses for reaching a verdict in the nine-year-old case."The Mumbai attack case is being tried in an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad since 2009. There has hardly been any such case in any ATCs in country taking more than nine years and still pending. The ATCs are meant for speedy trial but in this case the ATC is acting like that of a sessions' court where a case is usually not decided in years."It appears that the state is not in a hurry to decide this case since the matter is related to its arch-rival India," a senior lawyer said.Had the authorities concerned here been serious, this case would have been decided years ago, he said.Seven LeT suspects -- Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum -- are facing charges of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack since 2009.Except Lakhvi, the other six are kept in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.In Video: 26/11 Mumbai attack case: Pakistan sacks chief prosecutor for ‘not taking govt line’ </s> [India], Apr 30 (ANI): Senior Lawyer and Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on Sunday said that Pakistan's sudden decision to remove Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) special prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar implied that Islamabad was saving the terrorists who were responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Speaking to ANI, Nikam said, "If Pakistan has removed the chief public prosecutor from the 26/11 case, this simply means that they want to save the terrorists who were responsible for the attacks. This is all due to the pressure that has been building on Pakistan after David Headley's testimony."

"If they have removed their chief public prosecutor and they gave the reason that he was not following the government's instruction, so what does it mean? From 2008, he has been working as a government lawyer and now in 2018, all of a sudden, the Pakistan government says that he would be no longer required for the 26/11 trial case. It means that the Pakistan government wanted to harbour the terrorists who were responsible for the 26/11 attacks," he added.

In his 2016 testimony, terrorist David Headley, who is currently serving a 35-year jail term in the United States, had praised Ajmal Amir Kasab for carrying out the strikes and revealed that he had visited Mumbai seven times before the attacks and surveyed strategic locations such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and a naval base.

On Sunday, Pakistan's Interior Ministry abruptly removed Azhar from the 26/11 attack case for "not taking the government line." He was representing as chief of prosecution in the Mumbai attack case since 2009.

On November 26, 2008, 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks in different parts of the city, killing 166 people and injuring over 600 others.

The lone survivor, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was caught and was sentenced to death at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune in 2012.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) was believed to have plotted the 26/11 attacks. Its mastermind, Hafiz Saeed, has been roaming freely in Pakistan.

New Delhi has, time and again, protested against Islamabad for harbouring Saeed, who is wanted for allegedly plotting the 2008 attack.

On a related note, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief, who had recently been released from house arrest, is also looking to contest the general elections in Pakistan later this year, and has, thereby, formed a party by the name of Milli Muslim League (MML). (ANI) </s> In a blow to India’s efforts to bring the perpetrators of 26/11 to justice, Pakistan’s interior ministry removed the chief prosecutor from the nine-year-old case for his “unbiased and independent” approach.The prosecutor’s attitude was not considered by authorities to be synchronised with the government’s line, an official privy to the development was quoted by the media as saying on Sunday.The move comes two days after the US urged Pakistan to fully cooperate with India to investigate the Mumbai attacks. “We want to see justice done and we continue to urge Pakistani cooperation,” Mark Toner, US State Department spokesperson had said on Friday.An official of Federal Investigation Agency told PTI that the interior ministry has removed FIA’s special prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar, who had been serving as chief of prosecution in the high-profile case since 2009. Explaining his differences with the government, the official said, “He was keen to go by the book in the high-profile case.”The Federal Investigation Agency official said that 26/11 case prosecutor Azhar had developed differences with the government over the “manner” the case was being pursued. Azhar confirmed that he was asked to stop pursuing the Mumbai attack case. “I am no more with this case,” he said. The home ministry, however, called the move a routine matter. “It seems to be a routine matter. I will have to talk to the relevant persons to know the reason,” the report quoted an official of the interior ministry saying.In November 2008, ten Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Pakistan’s port city of Karachi and launched coordinated attacks at various places in the city on November 26, killing 166 people and injuring over 300.The Mumbai attack case has been moving at extremely slow pace in Pakistan and the key persons accused by India with solid evidence roam freely even after 10 years. The anti-terrorism court has completed recording of the statements of all Pakistani witnesses in the case and now authorities here claim that the ball is in India’s court as it as the foreign office had written in March to the Indian government asking it to send all 24 witnesses to Pakistan for recording statements in the trial court. Without recording of statements of Indian witnesses, the trial could not move ahead, officials here say. India replied that Pakistan must put Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on trial based on the evidence it had provided to it.“It appears that the state is not in a hurry to decide this case since the matter is related to its arch-rival India,” a senior lawyer said.Had the authorities been serious, this case would have been decided years ago, he said. Seven LeT suspects — Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum — are facing charges of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack since 2009. Except Lakhvi, the other six are kept in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. </s> The Mumbai attack case has entered into the 10th year but none of its suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet.

Pakistan's interior ministry has abruptly removed the chief prosecutor from the Mumbai terror attack case for "not taking the government line", an official said on Sunday, in a major setback to India's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Ten Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 people and injuring over 300 in November 2008.

"The interior ministry has removed Federal Investigation Agency Special Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar, who had been representing as chief of prosecution in the Mumbai attack case since 2009, from the high-profile case," an official of the FIA privy to the development told PTI.

Azhar has been told that his services in the Mumbai attack case are no more required, he said.

"Azhar has only been separated from the Mumbai attack case. However, he will continue to representing the state in other cases like Benazir assassination," he said.

Azhar developed differences with the government over the "manner" the case was being pursued, the official said.

"The government has its own 'special consideration' in this case and Azhar perhaps is not taking the government line. He was keen to follow the high profile case by book," the official tried to explain the possible reasons of the differences between the chief prosecutor and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government.

When contacted, Azhar only confirmed that he was asked to stop pursuing the Mumbai attack case.

"I am no more with this case," he said.

The government offered no explanation of the decision, terming it a routine matter.

"It seems to be a routine matter. I will have to talk to the relevant persons to know the reason," an official of interior ministry said.

The Mumbai attack case has entered into the 10th year but none of its suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet, showing that the case had never been in the priority list of the country that appears to be keen to put it under the carpet.

The weekly hearing in this case hardly takes place since the Anti-Terrorism Court has completed the statement of all (70) prosecution witnesses.

According to the prosecution, the case may not further proceed till the Indian government sends its 24 witnesses to Pakistan to record their statements.

Pakistan has written to India in this regard. India replied that Pakistan must put Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed on trial based on the evidence it had provided to it.

A number of Pakistani witnesses both official and private testified and provided evidence against the seven accused... but still the Pakistani authorities have been insisting on sending Indian witnesses for reaching a verdict in the nine-year-old case.

"The Mumbai attack case is being tried in an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad since 2009. There has hardly been any such case in any ATCs in country taking more than nine years and still pending. The ATCs are meant for speedy trial but in this case the ATC is acting like that of a sessions' court where a case is usually not decided in years.

"It appears that the state is not in a hurry to decide this case since the matter is related to its arch-rival India," a senior lawyer said.

Had the authorities concerned here been serious, this case would have been decided years ago, he said.

Seven LeT suspects -- Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum -- are facing charges of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attack since 2009.

Except Lakhvi, the other six are kept in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

LeT operation commander Lakhvi got his freedom about three years ago after securing bail. He has been living in an undisclosed location since then. There are reports that he had come to the Jamaat-ud-Dawa headquarters in Lahore last November to greet Saeed on his release from a 10-month detention under terrorism and public safety laws.

Some 166 people were killed in the attack carried out by 10 LeT men. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged after handed down death sentence.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack. </s> Pakistan's Interior Ministry has abruptly removed the chief prosecutor from the Mumbai terror attack case for "not taking the government line", an official said today, in a major setback to India's efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. </s> A special anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Thursday declared former President Pervez Musharraf an absconder in the assassination case of ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, The Express Tribune reported. Five others were acquitted in the case, while two senior police officials were sentenced to 17 years in prison. The court also ordered a seizure of Musharraf’s property.

On Wednesday, the Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court had reserved its verdict on the 10-year-old murder case. Judge Muhammad Asghar Ali Khan had said he needed time to examine and compile the evidence, the Dawn reported.

Musharraf, who was declared “most wanted” in the case, could not be present during the hearing on Wednesday as police suspected that extremist group Al Qaeda planned on targeting him, Federal Investigation Agency prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar had said.

Bhutto, Pakistan’s 11th Prime Minister was assassinated during an election campaign event on December 27, 2007 in Rawalpindi. Former military ruler Musharraf was the president at the time. </s> The Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan's (TLP) Chief along with over 100 memebers of the Islamist party have been arrested by the Pakistan police after they had given a protest call for Sunday against the acquittal of Christian woman Asia Bibi.

Last month, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) disrupted daily life across Pakistan by staging widespread protests following Bibi's acquittal in a blasphemy case by the apex court.

"We have taken into custody more than 100 TLP leaders and activists including its chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi from Lahore and other parts of the Punjab province," a senior police officer told PTI on Saturday.

He said a team comprising government officials and clerics tried to persuade Rizvi in Lahore late on Friday night to defer its November 25 protest, but he refused to budge.

"On this police arrested him and other leaders," the officer said.

"Khadim Hussain Rizvi has been taken into protective custody by police from Lahore. The action was prompted by TLP's refusal to withdraw its call for protest on November 25. It is to safeguard public life, property and order," Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted.

The minister, however, clarified that the "arrest has nothing to do with Asia Bibi case".

"The TLP has become a continuous threat to the life and properties of the citizens and is doing politics under the guise of religion... the situation is fully under control, people should remain peaceful and fully cooperate with authorities," Chaudhry said.

He said the government did its best to convince the party against staging the protest, but they refused every offer and started to incite violence.

There were reports of TLP workers clashing with police in Lahore following Rizvi's arrest. Three policemen and seven workers are reported to have been injured.

The apex court, in a three-member bench led by chief justice Saqib Nisar, issued the landmark verdict last month.

Following the verdict, the TLP had termed the chief justice and other judges in the bench "liable to be killed" and had called Army chief General Qmar Javed Bajwa a non-Muslim and urged Muslim generals to revolt against him.

Bibi was convicted in 2010 after being accused of insulting Islam in a row with her neighbours. She always maintained her innocence, but spent most of the past eight years in solitary confinement.

She has been released from the jail and the government says is in a 'safe' house. The government says she cannot leave the country till decision on the review petition against her acquittal. Chief Justice Nisar has ordered full protection to Bibi.

TLP is an Islamist political party with Islamic ideology. It is known for widespread street power and massive protests in opposition to any change to Pakistan's blasphemy law. </s> Pakistani officials say a gunman has opened fire on the country’s interior minister after a public meeting, wounding him in shoulder.

Talal Chaudhry, the Minister of State for Interior Affairs, says Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was returning to his car after a meeting in Narowal district Sunday when he came under attack.

Senior police officer Imran Kishwar said the attacker was immediately arrested, and that the interior minister was out of danger. He said the 22-year-old gunman fired at the minister at close range. His motivation was not immediately known. </s> The trial in the brutal gangrape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir is slated to begin on Monday. The trial will be conducted against eight accused who allegedly held the minor girl in captivity in a village temple in Kathua district. The accused allegedly sedated the girl and sexually assaulted her before murdering her.

Since the accused include a juvenile, the chief judicial magistrate is expected to commit one of the chargesheets, naming seven of them, to the sessions court for trial. The trial for the juvenile will be held in the court of the CJM.

Meanwhile, a five-member committee of the Bar Council of India (BCI) will visit Kathua city in Jammu and Kashmir and submit a factual report on the case after seeking time from the Supreme Court on April 19. An announcement in this regard was made by BCI chief Manan Mishra on Sunday.

The fact-finding team will include former BCI chief Tarun Agarwal, BCI co-chairmen S Prabakaran and Ramachandra G Shah, and members Razia Beig of the Bar Council of Uttrakhand and Naresh Dikshit, an advocate.

They will visit the state and reach out to office-bearers of the Bar Associations of Jammu and Kathua and also meet the affected families and the common people to figure out what actually transpired, Mishra told reporters.

In a related development, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday accepted the resignations of two controversial BJP ministers Chandra Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh who had participated in a rally in support of the people arrested in connection with the recent rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in Kathua district.

The resignations of the two ministers were received from BJP state chief Sat Sharma this morning which were immediately accepted and forwarded to Governor NN Vohra for completing the procedural formalities, the J&K Chief Minister's office was quoted as saying.

An eight-year-old girl belonging to the nomadic community had gone missing on January 10 while grazing horses in Rasana forest in Kathua's Hiranagar area. Her body was found a week later. Police investigations revealed she was held captive inside a temple, sedated and repeatedly raped before her murder.
Pakistan's Interior Ministry removes chief prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar from the case, which concerns the murders of 166 people. The Interior Ministry said Azhar did "not take the government line". Seven alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba members have been facing charges since 2009 but nobody has yet been convicted in Pakistan.