ISLAMABAD-
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday challenged the bail orders of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of Mumbai attacks,in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
On December 18, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted bail to Lakhvi, accused over the siege on India’s commercial capital that left 166 people dead and was blamed on the banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The bail decision triggered a furious response from New Delhi and Pakistani prosecutors swiftly announced they would appeal against it. A day later, authorities ordered his detention under public order laws following the ATC bail decision.
On December 29, Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the detention orders of Lakhvi 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.
Lakhvi remains in custody on a 14-day judicial remand in a six-year-old kidnapping case. He was sent on the remand on December 31st, following expiration of his two-day physical remand in the case which was ordered while he was awaiting release after the IHC suspended his detention.
The federal government has also challenged the suspension of the detention order for Lakhvi in the Supreme Court.
Relations between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India worsened dramatically after the Mumbai carnage, in which 10 gunmen attacked luxury hotels, a popular cafe, a train station and a Jewish centre.
