LeJ chief Malik Ishaq jailed for 30 days

Ishaq was earlier placed under house arrest for 10 days; police shift him to jail in Rahim Yar Khan.

LAHORE: Founder of banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) Malik Ishaq was shifted late Tuesday night to a Rahim Yar Khan jail after being under house arrest for 10 days.

(Read more: Malik Ishaq - man of violence)

Ishaq has now been detained for more than 30 days to pre-empt sectarian strife, under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), The Express Tribune has learnt.

According to an  official of the security branch, the detention order was issued by the District Coordination Officer (DCO) Rahim Yar Khan late on Monday but due to the closure of the jail.

The former chief of the banned outfit was allegedly involved in 44 murder cases in which 70 people mostly belong to the Shia community.

He was released on bail from Kot Lakhpat Jail Lahore on July 14 in a case regarding the attack on the  Sri Lankan cricket team by the order of the Supreme Court.

Ishaq had been in jail since 1997 for allegedly killing 12 members of Fida Hussain Ghalvi’s family, in addition to being allegedly involved in killing 58 other people in various incidents of sectarian violence. He is one of the founders of the terrorist outfit LeJ, a key suspect in the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009.

He was granted bail by the apex court after the prosecution failed to prove his involvement in the case.

Ishaq was acquitted in 34 out of 44 cases while in the remaining 10 he had already been granted bail, official documents revealed.

Intelligence and law enforcement agencies’ reports have revealed that the banned organization’s leader is engaged in highly objectionable activities which may spark sectarian violence in Punjab.

Ubaidullah Usmani, the media coordinator of Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) said that the chief of ASWJ Allama Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi has strongly condemned the detention of Malik Ishaq.