A key witness turned hostile during the hearing of the Mumbai 26/11 terror attack case in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The witness, Mudassir Lakhvi, is reportedly the headmaster of a primary school in Faridkot, where Ajmal Kasab studied. Kasab was hanged in a Pune jail in November 2012, for his role in the Mumbai attacks. Mudassir also reportedly claimed that Kasab was still alive but it was not clear if he was referring to the same man who was the only survivor among the attackers and went on trial before being sentenced to death.
The witness, who embarrassed the prosecution, even went on to say that Kasab could be produced in court if required.
"He (the headmaster) was supposed to present the record of the period during which Ajmal Kasab studied in the school and other relevant record but talked otherwise. The prosecution also failed to properly examine him," a court official told PTI.
The development comes just a day after Pakistan assured India of steps being taken to expedite the early conclusion of 26/11 Mumbai trial in a joint statement by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistani PM's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz in Islamabad.
The court official believes that the witness was possibly pressurised by another accused Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi as both of them hail from the same town, reported PTI.
The case will next be heard on 16 December.
