A Karachi-based lawyer offered his services for providing legal assistance to Ajmal Kasab, the Mumbai attacks suspect who is facing terrorism charges before the Indian special court.
Sending a letter to the High Commissioner of India, Javed Ahmed Chattari advocate from Karachi said that he was willing to provide legal assistance to Kasab after his request, also reported in the media, to the court to provide him a Pakistani lawyer to defend him against terrorism and murder charges.
Chattari said that despite the fact that the Indian government refused to provide the service of lawyers who did not belong to India he would say that it was the fundamental right of any under-trial person to be allowed to choose the lawyer of his choice.
Twenty-one-year-old Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab is charged with murder and waging war against India. More than 170 people were killed while over a hundred were injured when armed people attacked various places in Mumbai, a hub of economic activities of India. Except Kasab, the other attackers were killed by the Indian law-enforcement agencies.
Kasab, who was being tried by a special court in India, had demanded a Pakistani lawyer for his defence. However, his request was turned down by the trial court observing that the Pakistani government or family members of the suspect could engage an Indian lawyer.
The Indian court also appointed Abbas Kazmi, a criminal lawyer from Mumbai, after sacking the first defence lawyer Anjali Waghmare, who was dismissed for “professional misconduct”. Waghmare was alleged to have also signed to represent an attack victim.
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