Islamabad court orders release of Mumbai attacks suspect

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan court on Friday cancelled a detention order against the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, potentially paving the way for his release.
It is the latest round in a tussle over Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, accused over the terror siege that left 166 dead, which has worsened already strained ties with India.
The latest ruling means Lakhvi could be released as early as Saturday, though the government can still appeal to the Supreme Court and for now he remains in jail.
Lakhvi was granted bail by an anti-terror court in December, infuriating New Delhi, but quickly slapped with a detention order under public order laws. The Islamabad High Court suspended that order, only for the Supreme Court to reinstate it in January.
On Friday the high court once again set aside the detention order, senior government lawyer Jehangir Jadoon told AFP.
A detailed order handed down by the court said government lawyers had failed to provide evidence to justify Lakhvi’s detention.
Throughout the three-month back and forth over Lakhvi’s detention, he has never been let out of Adiyala Prison in Rawalpindi.
The original bail order in December prompted an angry response from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said it came as “a shock to all those who believe in humanity”.
India on Friday reacted with displeasure to the Pakistani court’s decision.
“Pakistani agencies must produce incriminating evidence available in the court of law in Pakistan. And there should be no discrimination in showing the character of terrorists. Terrorists cannot be bad or good terrorists,” Junior Home Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters.
“They must ensure that Lakhvi doesn’t get out on bail and doesn’t get out of jail. If proper legal measures are taken then I am sure Lakhvi will not get out of jail.”
The Mumbai attacks were blamed on banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India has long seethed at Pakistan’s failure either to hand over or prosecute those accused of planning and organising the violence.
Lakhvi and six other suspects have been charged in Pakistan but their cases have made virtually no progress in more than five years.