Lahore/New Delhi : A Pakistani court on Thursday set free Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander, a development which India said had “eroded” the value of assurances repeatedly conveyed to it by Pakistan on cross-border terrorism. Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq of Lahore High Court suspended the detention of 55-year-old Lakhvi under Maintenance of Public Order after the government failed to present sensitive records against him in the court.
The judge ordered Lakhvi to submit two surety bonds worth Rs 1 million each for his release. “The law officer had submitted important information about Lakhvi, but the court did not accept this and declared the evidence unsatisfactory,” an official of LHC told PTI.
Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq in the last hearing on April 7 had directed the government’s counsel to submit the record of secret documents about Lakhvi’s activities on Thursday.
Reacting to the development, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said “Our concerns on this issue have been made known to the Government of Pakistan in the past. These shall be reiterated”.
The Home Ministry also said it was an “extremely disappointing development” and asked Islamabad to immediately ensure that Lakhvi does not come out of jail.
M Zulqernain
