Pakistan government on Thursday challenged the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) decision to suspend the detention of Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman-Lakhvi.
On Tuesday (December 30, 2014), Lakhvi was sent to two days' judicial remand in an abduction case a day after the IHC approved his release. Earlier on December 18, Lakhvi was granted post-arrest bail by the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad. However, the federal government extended his detention in the Adiala Jail under the MPO Ordinance.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also summoned Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit to convey India’s displeasure with the Islamic Republic after the Islamabad High Court suspended the detention order of 26/11 terror attack accused Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
The MEA, in a statement, said that the Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh has conveyed India's strong concern in the matter.
On December 18, Islamabad ATC Judge Zaidi had granted bail to Lakhvi citing lack of evidence against him in the Mumbai attacks case, but before he could be released from jail, the government had detained him for three more months under Public Maintenance Order in Adiala Jail where the trial is being held.
The ATC's order has cited "weak evidence, the registration of the FIR invoking irrelevant sections and hearsay evidence against the suspect" as the reasons for granting bail to Lakhvi. ATC Judge Zaidi in his written order said the evidence against 54-year-old accused was based on the statements of officials of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) which apparently were 'insufficient' to refuse him bail. The decision to grant bail to Lakhvi drew sharp criticism from India and surprised many for its timing, just days after Taliban massacred 148 people, mostly school children, in Peshawar.
Lakhvi and six other accused - Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum -- have been charged with planning and executing the Mumbai attacks that took place on November 26, 2008, and left 166 people dead. The trial has been underway since 2009.
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