Islamabad: Pakistan has again detained LeT terrorist and Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi for one month after a court ordered his release. The development came a day after a court cancelled an earlier order under which Lakhvi was detained for three months in December.
An "outraged" India summoned the Pakistan high commissioner in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest against the court order and said freeing him will pose a threat which "cannot be ignored".
The officiating foreign secretary Anil Wadhwa summoned Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit to South Block and conveyed India's unhappiness over the order in strong words. "India today conveyed its outrage at the release of Lakhvi, one of the key accused in the Mumbai terror attacks. This goes against Pakistan's professed commitment to combat terrorism, including its recently stated policy of not differentiating amongst terrorists," spokesperson in India's external affairs ministry Syed Akbaruddin said.
He further added that "If such a person, who is also a designated international terrorist by the United Nations, is released it will pose a threat that cannot be ignored." The matter was also "raised at high levels" in Pakistan through Indian high commission, official sources said.
After his meeting with Wadhwa, Basit said, "Lakhvi may have been granted bail, but the trial continues. We all are working to complete the trial. Let the judicial process take its course."
Blaming Pakistan for the Islamabad high court order to release Lakhvi, India's minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju told reporters that Islamabad did not produce the evidence against him despite having enough of it. Lakhvi is one of seven suspects who are being tried by Pakistan in connection with Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people and seriously damaged relations between Pakistan and India.
Earlier, the Islamabad high court termed Lakhvi's detention illegal. High court judge Noorul Haq ordered the immediate release of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
The Pakistani government had on March 5 filed details of charges Lakhvi, 55, is facing in the Mumbai attack case, his alleged involvement in the abduction of an Afghan national, and the judgment of the Supreme Court in his detention case.
Lakhvi's counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi had said in court that the government was planning to register another case against his client like it did when he was granted bail in the Mumbai attack case.
He argued that the government had earlier filed a false case of abduction of an Afghan national, Anwer Khan, against Lakhvi but it could not prove anything against him in court.
Lakhvi last month had challenged his 'fresh' detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) act.
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