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Journalism of Courage
Ruling that future proceedings would be held in-camera,a Pakistani court hearing the case against five LeT operatives,including its operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi,in connection with the Mumbai attacks on Saturday adjourned it till August 29 without charges being read against the accused.
Judge Baqir Ali Rana of anti-terror court No 2,who is conducting the trial in the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi,put off the matter,sources said.
Saturdays proceedings continued for about an hour and all five accused were produced in the court. Journalists were barred from covering the trial which is being conducted inside the prison for security reasons.
Sources said the counsel for the Federal Investigation Agency argued that the proceedings should be conducted in-camera in view of the sensitivity of the matter. This was accepted by the judge,who said future hearings would be in-camera.
The counsel for the five LeT operatives submitted petitions seeking copies of the First Information Reports and two chargesheets drawn up against the accused by the FIA,the sources said.
The court said they should be given access to these documents and materials. The court also recorded the statements of officials who were assigned to hand over notices issued to 13 other suspects identified by the FIA. These suspects have been declared proclaimed offenders.
A majority of the suspects are crew members of the two boats that ferried the attackers to Mumbai.
Special Public Prosecutor Malik Rab Nawaz Noon,who represented the Government,said the five LeT members were yet to be formally indicted.
