ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: Days before the fifth anniversary of the Mumbai attacks, suspects have changed their legal team.

Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind, and the suspected abettors engaged Barrister Zahid Hussain Tirmizi and Raja Rizwan Abbasi to defend them in the case being heard by an anti-terrorism court here.

Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum were arrested in July 2009 for their alleged role in the Nov 26, 2008 attacks in which 164 people were killed and over 300 injured.

Riaz Akram Cheema, a key defence counsel who remained associated with the case since August 2009, confirmed that he had disassociated himself from the proceedings.

He cited personal reasons, including ailment of his mother, for his decision. Mr Cheema said that Khawaja Haris Ahmed, the other lawyer, had also disassociated himself from the case.

Sources said Mr Cheema and Khawaja Haris were both based in Lahore where they had busy schedules while proceedings of the abetment case are held in Islamabad at short intervals.

The new lawyers are based in Islamabad.

When contacted, Barrister Tirmizi said that change of counsel was a routine matter.

He said his clients wanted to expedite the trial and the new legal team comprised local lawyers who would definitely accelerate it.