PAK-MUMBAI 2

The accused also filed two fresh applications regarding
their reservations about the conduct of the trial. Judge Awan
asked the prosecution to respond to these applications by the
next hearing, Sultan said.
Sultan declined to divulge the contents of the
applications and only said they contained certain reservations
expressed by the accused.
A Rawalpindi-based bench of the Lahore High Court had on
October 26 directed the anti-terror court to take into account
the views of the accused and to redress their grievances
before proceeding with their indictment.
The High Court issued the order after the accused filed a
petition in which they said the anti-terror court had framed
charges against them in the absence of their lawyers.
Sultan said the anti-terror court had not yet received a
copy of the High Court's order while the prosecution argued
that the High Court had not issued any direction asking the
anti-terror court to take into account the views of the
accused.
"We argued that the anti-terror court could easily verify
this matter," Sultan said.
The Mumbai attacks case has been mired in controversy and
confusion over the past few weeks. The anti-terror court's gag
order on lawyers and others connected with the case and a ban
on media coverage has made it virtually impossible to
ascertain even basic facts. (MORE) PTI