An anti-terror court at Panchkula in Haryana on Thursday adjourned its hearing of 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case to March 18 due to an ongoing strike by local lawyers.

The lawyers went on an indefinite strike on 12th March in protest against alleged misbehaviour with an advocate.

Meanwhile, counsel for accused Swami Aseemanand sought to refute a Pakistani woman’s claim in her application to the court that the eyewitnesses to the blast from her country were not served summons for deposition.

He said Pakistani witnesses were summoned at least six times but there was no response from them.

On 11th March, the court had posted the matter for today after taking the woman’s plea on record and issued notice to the National Investigation Agency to respond to her plea.

The blast in Samjhauta Express had occurred near Panipat in Haryana on 18th February, 2007, when the train was on its way to Attari in Amritsar, the last railway station on the Indian side.

The blast ripped apart two coaches of Samjhauta Express, killing 68 people.