Pakistan charges 7 suspects in Mumbai attacks

[November 25, 2009]  ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Pakistan charged seven men on Wednesday in last year's Mumbai terror attacks, its first indictment in a case being watched closely by India and the United States to see if Islamabad makes good on promises to bring those responsible to justice.

The indictments in an anti-terrorism court came on the eve of the first anniversary of the attacks on hotels, a train station and other targets in the Indian financial center that terrorized the city for three days and killed 166 people.

The seven suspects pleaded not guilty, defense lawyer Shahbaz Rajput and prosecutor Malik Rab Nawaz said.

The men, allegedly belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, could face the death penalty if convicted.

The trial is a key test of Pakistan's vow to punish those responsible for the Nov. 26-28 attacks. They are the first suspects in the Mumbai attacks to be charged in Pakistan. One suspect is already on trial in India.

The indictments come as Pakistan's army wages a major offensive against Islamic militants on its northwestern frontier with Afghanistan -- an action welcomed by the United States and other Western nations.

The court proceedings are taking place behind closed doors at a maximum-security prison not far from the capital, Islamabad.

Lawyers for the suspects have said they are unable to disclose any details of the charges against the men, who have appeared in court for pre-indictment hearings in recent months.

"All the accused categorically told the court they were innocent and the charges leveled against them are not supported by the evidence," Rajput said after the court adjourned until Dec. 5.

Two of the defendants, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarrar Shah, have been publicly accused by India of masterminding the attacks. Others alleged by New Delhi to have played a role in the attack, included Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, remain free.

India is trying the lone surviving gunman, Ajmal Kasab.

In the past, Islamabad has failed to punish militants suspected of attacks on targets in its giant eastern neighbor, with which it has fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947.

The Mumbai attacks halted a peace process between the nuclear-armed rivals which had eased tensions but made slow progress since it began in 2004. India says Pakistan must crack down on militants before it can resume talks.

Pakistan's intelligence agencies are known to have funded and trained Islamist militants to use as proxies against the much larger Indian army in the disputed region of Kashmir. The government says it no longer does this, but many Pakistanis remain sympathetic to the militants' aims.

[Associated Press; By ASIF SHAHZAD]

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