Islamabad: The US and the UK have asked Pakistan to hand over Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attack, to India to improve bilateral ties or to them for his “independent trial.”
During 54-year-old Lakhvi's bail case at the Islamabad high court (IHC) on Monday, the prosecution informed that the “two countries had demanded handing over of Lakhvi to India.” The prosecution lawyer did not name the countries in the court. However, an interior ministry source said that the US and the UK had asked PM Nawaz Sharif government to hand over Lakhvi either to India in order to “improve ties” with the neighbouring country or to them for his “independent trial” as several nationals of different countries were killed in the the 2008 Mumbai attack.
The prosecution also requested the division bench of IHC headed by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui to expedite the case. On this, Saddiqui remarked, “Shift the case to the military court if the government is in such a hurry.” The judge also said handing Lakhvi over to any country was a “diplomatic issue” concerning the government and the court had nothing to do with it.
Prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar said that Lakhvi's lawyer did not attend Monday's hearing. “The court in last hearing had issued summons for Lakhvi but his counsel did not appear. On this, the court adjourned the hearing,” he said. The court office will fix the next date for hearing. In the last hearing, the prosecution told the IHC the trial court had ignored testimony in the 2611 case while granting bail to Lakhvi on December 18, 2014.
Lakhvi and six others have been charged with planning and executing the Mumbai attacks in November, 2008 that left 166 people dead. Lakhvi was arrested in December 2008 and was indicted along with the other accused on November 25, 2009.
Stay in jail extended by another month
Lakhvi will remain in jail for another month after the Pakistan government extended his detention on Monday. Islamabad deputy commissioner Mujahid Sher Dil told the high court that the government had extended the detention for another 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order. Lakhvi's counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi protested the government's decision.
