Pak court adjourns Mumbai attack case hearing till Sept 9

No proceeding was held on Thursday as lawyers observed strike over the murder of an additional sessions judge in Rawalpindi in an attack claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a court official said.

"Our special task force has targeted judge Niazi in Rawalpindi successfully," TTP spokesman Muhammad Khorasani said in an emailed statement. The TTP did not say why the judge was targeted.

The hearing in the Mumbai case was adjourned for over a month as the judge has gone on a "summer vacation." 

"The court office on Thursday adjourned the Mumbai case till September 9 as the judge has gone on summer vacation," said the official.

No proceedings have been held during the last three hearings owing to one or another reason. Mumbai Attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi has already been exempted from <g data-gr-id="24">in-person</g> appearance in the trial court because of "threats" to his life.

Fifty-five-year-old Lakhvi has been released on bail since April 10 after the Lahore High Court set aside the government's order to detain him under the security act. Six other accused  have been in Adiala Jail for nearly six years in connection with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in <g data-gr-id="26">November,</g> 2008 that left 166 people dead.