The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday suspended the detention order of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi — the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai attacks.
Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi presided over today’s hearing in response to a petition filed by Lakhvi, seeking an end to his detention.
Lakhvi was granted post-arrest bail by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Dec 18. However, the federal government had extended his detention in the Adiala Jail under the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance
On Dec 26, Lakhvi had challenged his detention in the IHC.
During today’s hearing, Lakhvi’s counsel Rizwan Abbasi said that the court had previously accepted his client’s bail, but it was the administration that had detained him which was unlawful. He said that granting of bail was an issue of fundamental rights.
After hearing the counsel’s arguments, the court suspended Lakhvi’s detention.
Lakhvi is among the seven persons charged with planning and helping carry out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The six other men facing trial in Adiala Jail for their alleged involvement in Mumbai attacks are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid.
At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-i-Taiba (LT) that has been accused by India of carrying out the attacks in India’s financial capital.
Lakhvi along with Zarar Shah was allegedly the key planner of the attack that killed 166 people.
