Pakistan tries Mumbai terror suspects

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-18 21:52

ISLAMABAD： An Anti-Terrorism Court Saturday started trial of nine men allegedly involved in the terror attack in India's commercial hub of Mumbai, court officials said.

The local news agency News Network International (NNI) quoted sources as saying that the trial was held in a prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi over security concerns.

Judge Rana Baqir Ali adjourned the hearing till July 25, officials said. The court is likely to frame formal charges against the suspects on the next hearing.

Five of the suspects are under arrest in Pakistan, one of them is being prosecuted in India, and the other three are fugitives, according to Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Malik said last week that investigations have been completed for the under arrest suspects and another 12 men still wanted in connection with the case.

Nearly 170 people were killed in Mumbai, and India had accused Pakistan-based militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba of masterminding the attacks.

Indian officials accuse Pakistan of not being serious in apprehending the culprits. But Islamabad insists no one should doubt its sincerity.

Pakistan has admitted the attack was partly planned on its soil and the two countries have suffered seriously strained relations.

The trial begins few days after prime ministers of both countries met in the Egyptian city of Sharm el Sheikh on the sidelines of the summit of Non- Aligned Movement.

India had put a pause on the "composite dialogue" with Pakistan after the attack and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the parliament on Friday that talks will not be resumed unless Pakistan takes action against the suspects.