Federal Investigation Agency additional director general, Wajid Zia, recorded his statement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case on Wednesday.
The anti-terrorism court judge hearing the matter directed another witness, Zahid Akhtar, to appear for cross-examination on the next hearing on June 6.
Earlier, the Ministry of Interior sought more time to inform the court if the 27 Indian nationals would testify in the case or not. The ministry was also given till June 6 to update the court.
At the previous hearing, the judge had noted that the case had entered its final phase and only two witnesses from Pakistan were left to record their depositions.
The judge observed that the court has been awaiting Indian response on whether the 27 witnesses from across the border will testify in the case or not. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior were asked to update the court on the matter.
So far, 85 witnesses have been presented in the case by the FIA.
A list of 150 witnesses was provided to the court, of which 63 were removed from the list, the judge said.
Eight suspects have been nominated in the case, including alleged mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younus Anjum.
Lakhvi was granted bail by the Lahore High Court in December 2014, but he was detained later under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). But the court set aside his detention later.
The attacks in India’s financial capital on November 26, 2008, had claimed at least 166 lives.
Published in Daily Times, May 24th 2018.
