Doubt persists over Pak judicial commission's visit

With Pakistan deferring the visit of its 26/11 judicial commission yet again, Home Ministry officials are keeping their fingers crossed on whether the court-appointed body will arrive here on March 14 to record statements of key persons involved in the Mumbai attacks case.

With Pakistan deferring the visit of its 26/11 judicial commission yet again, Home Ministry officials are keeping their fingers crossed on whether the court-appointed body will arrive here on March 14 to record statements of key persons involved in the Mumbai attacks case.

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Frustrated over the long delay in the 26/11 court proceedings in Pakistan, Home Ministry officials are sceptical over the recent announcement that the judicial commission will arrive here on Wednesday for a four-day visit during which the members will visit Mumbai and interview all key persons related to the case.

Islamabad has been maintaining for the past two years that to take the judicial process of the 26/11 case in Pakistan to its logical conclusion, visit of the commission to India to record the statement of Ramesh Mahale, investigating officer of the case and R V Sawant-Waghul, the magistrate who recorded the confessional statement of lone surviving Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, was necessary.

"But despite conveying dates several times, they have failed to visit India citing one or the other reasons. They were supposed to come on March 12 which they now postponed to March 14," an official said.

Before that Pakistan had cancelled a pre-scheduled visit of the Commission in the first week of February. On March 29, 2011 after the India-Pakistan Home Secretary level talks, a joint statement issued said dates for the visit of the judicial commission from Pakistan will be conveyed to India within four-six weeks. But nothing has happened.