Pakistan Commission to quiz Indian officers

New Delhi : Pakistan has proposed to New Delhi to send a Judicial Commission to record and verify the statements of Indian officials who took statements from 26/11 terror accused Ajmal Kasab, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said on Thursday.

The Judicial Commission will record and verify statements of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate and the Chief Investigating Officer, who had recorded the confessional statement of Ajmal Kasab, and the doctors who conducted the post-mortem of slayed militants in the Mumbai attack.

The Judicial Commission will comprise a prosecution and a defence lawyer, accompanied by a coordinating officer.

New Delhi has sought a number of clarifications from Pakistan on the Commission including the law under which the Commission will be constituted and its modus operandi of the work.

Government had also sought confirmation that the Judicial Commission would only record the statements of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate and the Chief Investigating Officer and no cross-examination would take place.

Pakistan has conveyed that the Judicial Commission has been asked not to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses, Krishna said in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

On November 26, 2008, pockets of Mumbai, including the iconic Taj Mahal hotel, were attacked by 10 Pakistani terrorists.

The strike lasted for over 60 hours and left at least 160 people dead and over 200 injured.

The lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Kasab, who was later arrested, has been sentenced to death.

His appeal against the conviction is now being heard by the Mumbai High Court.