India conveys ‘strong concern’ over Lakhvi’s release, calls for speedy trail of Mumbai attacks accused; Pak high commissioner says trial a ‘purely judicial matter’
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday temporarily suspended the detention orders of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi — the alleged mastermind of Mumbai attacks — on the condition that the accused submits a security bond worth Rs 1 million and ensures his presence in every hearing of the case.
The court issued a two-page judgement on Lakhvi’s release and decided to take up the matter after January 7, 2015.
IHC’s Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi presided over the hearing of a petition filed by Lakhvi, seeking an end to his detention.
Lakhvi was granted post-arrest bail by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on December 18. However, the federal government had extended his detention in the Adiala Jail under the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance.
On December 26, Lakhvi had challenged his detention in the IHC.
During Monday’s hearing, Jahangir Khan Jadoon – the standing counsel representing the government – asked the court not to suspend the detention order and requested for more time as the IHC had issued notice to the federation and sought its reply today.
During the hearing, Lakhvi’s counsel Rizwan Abbasi said that the court had previously accepted his client’s bail but the administration that had detained him by flouting court orders and hence the detention was illegal. He added that the granting of bail was an issue of fundamental rights.
After hearing the counsel’s arguments, the court suspended Lakhvi’s detention.
According to an official of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the basic objective of the detention orders issued earlier, after the attack of Army Public School (APS) Peshawar was to prevent Lakhvi from attending any public meeting and potentially regrouping in its aftermath.
Sources in the ICT administration further said that the capital’s authorities also requested the Punjab Home Department to issue orders for Lakhvi’s detention to prevent him from moving to his hometown Okara.
Lakhvi was detained in Adiala Jail alongside six other suspects charged with planning and helping carry out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The six other men are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid.
At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) that has been accused by India of carrying out the attacks in Mumbai.
Lakhvi along with Zarar Shah was allegedly the key planner of the attack that killed 166 people.
INDIA CONCERNED OVER LAKHVI’S RELEASE:
Following the suspension of Lakhvi’s detention orders, Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit in New Delhi and the Indian mission in Islamabad also took up the matter with the Pakistan Foreign Office.
“Basit was summoned to the Indian MEA by Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh on Monday. Singh conveyed strong concern at the lack of effective action by Pakistan’s prosecuting authorities after the ATC ordered Lakhvi’s release,” said Indian MEA official spokesman Syed Akbaruddin.
“It was once again conveyed that we expect the Government of Pakistan to abide by the commitment conveyed to us, including at the highest level, that expeditious steps would be taken to bring all those responsible for the acts of terrorism in Mumbai to justice,” he said, adding that it was extremely disturbing that despite the assurances India has been receiving over the past six years, and the recent tragedies in Pakistan, “there seems to be no end in sight to Pakistan remaining a haven for well-known terror groups”.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that Basit was summoned. Basit reportedly assured the Indian Foreign Ministry that the trial of those accused of carrying out the Mumbai attacks, including Lakhvi, was purely a judicial matter and that it was in progress.