Lakhvi detained for 30 days despite bail grant

Lakhvi, acommander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, was granted bail by ATC Judge Syed Kausar Abbasi on Thursday

ISLAMABAD: Authorities detained Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, on Friday, a day after he was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court (ATC).

An official of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration told The Express Tribune that detention orders for Lakhvi were issued under 3 Maintenance of Public Order (3MPO). According to him, the basic objective of the detention was to prevent Lakhvi from attending any public meeting and potentially regrouping in the aftermath of the December 16 Peshawar attack.

Lakhvi, a commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, was granted bail by ATC Judge Syed Kausar Abbasi on Thursday. Under 3MPO, he will remain in detention for another 30 days, the official said.

Sources in the ICT administration said authorities requested the Punjab home department to issue orders for Lakhvi’s detention to prevent him from moving to his hometown Okara. Currently, he is being kept in Adiala jail alongside six other suspects allegedly involved in the Mumbai attacks.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2014.