ISLAMABAD (TIP): The Islamabad high court has dismissed two petitions seeking voices samples of seven 26/11 accused facing trial in Pakistan besides declaring two others, including executed terrorist Ajmal Kasab, as absconders.

The Dawn reported this without elaborating why the HC dismissed the petitions on Monday. A trial court had earli er dismissed petitions on voice samples in 2011 and 2015 saying there was no law to allow this.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had sought the samples to compare them with conversations Indian investigators had recorded and to present them before an anti-terrorism court (ATC), where the seven are being tried. The first petition said Indian intelligence agencies had intercepted the conversations of the handlers instructing the terrorists who had attacked Mumbai in 2008.

“According to the reports, the handlers of attackers remained in touch with the terrorists for instructions through Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) and satellite/mobile phones, which also indicate connectivity with LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) militants including Abu Al-Qama,” the petition said.

It added that India had handed over the recordings to Pakistan in a CD and that the FIA needed the samples to verify if the conversations were those of the accused. The petition argued that the samples were essential for concluding investigations in the case.

(PTI)