Admitting that the trial of LeT's Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks is "stuck", Pakistan on Saturday said the formation of a commission to record the testimony of two key Indian witnesses is necessary to take things forward.
Interior minister, Mr Rehman Malik — who had a meeting with Indian High Commissioner, Mr Sharat Sabharwal, here on Saturday morning — contended that the trial of the Pakistani suspects has run into problems over the issue of Indian witnesses testifying via video-conferencing as this is not allowed under Pakistani laws.
He said he had discussed the formation of the commission comprising "relevant officials" — which would visit India to record the statements of a magistrate and a police officer — during a recent telephonic conversation with his Indian counterpart, Mr P. Chidambaram.
Mr Chidambaram had told him that the Pakistani proposal would be "examined" when it is received, Mr Malik told reporters after meeting Sabharwal at the interior ministry.
The Pakistani anti-terrorism court conducting the trial is yet to decide on India's proposal that the witnesses should testify via video-conferencing "and the trial is stuck," he said.
"We want this trial to go ahead. That's why I have proposed to India, while talking to Mr Chidambaram, that how about if we move our case to our trial court and request them to appoint a commission?" he said.
Pakistani prosecutors will approach the Rawalpindi-based trial court on Monday with a petition on forming the commission, he said.
Though India proposed that the testimony of the two witnesses — the magistrate who recorded the confessional statement of lone surviving Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab and the police officer who investigated the incident -- should be recorded via video conferencing, Malik said this was not permitted by Pakistani laws.
Though such video-conferencing is not allowed under domestic laws, prosecutors have made a special request to the trial court to allow Indian witnesses to testify over a video link. The anti-terrorism court is yet to decide on this issue, Mr Malik said.