Ottawa (PTI): The trial of the first Pakistani- Canadian man to be charged under Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act for an international conspiracy to kill civilians in Britain has began.

Momin Khawaja (29), a software developer, faces seven criminal charges of conspiracy to commit terrorist acts in Britain, including developing bomb detonators, possession of explosives, financing terrorism, and training as a terrorist.

Bearded Khawaja, dressed in white shirt and grey suit, sat impassively as federal prosecutors on Monday described how British surveillance and electronic bugs betrayed a murderous conspiracy. "The aim was to cause death, injury and damage for religious and political purposes," they said.

Khawaja, also a former Foreign Affairs employee, was arrested in March 2004 in connection with a foiled bomb plot against several British targets, including a popular London nightclub, a shopping mall and a gas network.

Five of the conspirators were convicted by a London court last year and sentenced to life in prison while two others were acquitted. Khawaja, though named as a co-conspirator, was not tried in Britain. Instead he was charged in Canada with a range of offences.