Islamabad: In a move that could again upset India, A court in Pakistan on Thursday ordered the immediate release of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack’s alleged mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. The Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed the detention orders of Lakhvi, one of the key accused in the terror siege and ordered his immediate release, Dawn online reported.
Lahore High Court’s release order for Lakhvi comes a couple of days after it ordered the Punjab government to prepare a record of “secret documents and activities of Lakhvi” and submit it by April 9, that is today. The order was issued by Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq of the Lahore High Court while hearing Lakhvi’s petition challenging his detention under the Maintenance of Public Order.
“A provincial review board (comprising judges of the high court) should be constituted to take up this matter,” Lakhvi’s counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi said. Lakhvi’s counsel also told the court that in the light of LHC’s earlier direction he had filed a representation before the Punjab home secretary against Lakhvi’s “illegal” detention but he (the home secretary) dismissed it and upheld the 30-day detention order issued by District Coordination Officer, Okara.
However, he said another detention order was issued by the DCO Okara and Lakhvi was not released, requesting the court to strike down the impugned order and direct the government to release his client. The Islamabad High Court on March 13 had suspended the government’s detention order for Lakhvi and ordered his immediate release.
The following day the Punjab government (DCO Okara) issued a detention order for Lakhvi for another 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order, before he could be released by Adiala Jail Rawalpindi authorities. Lakhvi and six others have been charged with planning and executing the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people and injured over 300.
Bureau Report
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