Pakistan mum on sending 26/11 panel

NEW DELHI: Pakistan is yet to respond to an Indian invitation to send a judicial commission to interview the magistrate, who had recorded Ajmal Kasab's statement (Kasab is the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai in 2008). Pakistan had said this was necessary to take the case forward back home.

During the home secretary-level talks in March, India had invited Pakistan officials "within four to six weeks" to send a judicial commission to India to record the statements of additional chief metropolitan magistrate R V Sawant Waghule, investigating officer Ramesh Mahale and the doctor who had carried out the post-mortem on the terrorists. But, Pakistan is yet to inform India when this team will be able to come.

India has also asked for voice samples of the seven accused in Pakistan. However, this demand was not raised during the home secretaries' talks recently.

Given that Pakistan had insisted that they needed to get the Indian statements within six weeks, officials here are wondering why Islamabad is keeping mum. The deadline ends on May 15.