ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday issued notices to the federation on a petition filed by Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The chief of the defunct Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has challenged his detention orders following approval of bail by the court.
On December 19 authorities detained Lakhvi under 3-Maintenance of Public Order (3MPO) for 30 days in Adiala jail, after he was granted bail by Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).
Justice Noorul Haq N Qureshi issued notice to the federation and sought its reply till Monday. Lakhvi, through his counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi, had challenged the detention orders, terming the directive ‘illegal’. The counsel for the petitioner informed the court that ATC had granted bail to his client, but the government is flouting the same orders by not releasing his client.
He requested the court to annul the detention orders. However, Justice Qureshi observed that the court cannot decide the matter without hearing version of the federal government and put off the hearing till December 29.
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration had issued his detention orders following attack of Army Public School (APS) Peshawar. According to ICT official, 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.
Sources in the ICT administration said authorities had also 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 27th, 2014.
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