Apex court declares suspension of Lakhvi's detention order null and void

Lakhvi is accused of planning, financing and executing 2008 Mumbai attacks

A file photo of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday declared the suspension of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's detention order null and void, Express News reported.

Lakhvi, the commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is accused of planning, financing and executing the November 26, 2008 attacks on Mumbai’s landmarks that had killed over 160 people.

A two-judge bench heard a plea filed by the federal government against the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) decision to suspend the detention order and said the suspension is not valid.


Lakhvi was recently granted bail by an anti-terrorism court, however, the federal government had detained him under Maintenance of Public Order. Lakhvi challenged his detention in IHC which then suspended the detainment order. However, the federal government challenged this suspension in the apex court.

The appeal was moved on behalf of the interior secretary, district magistrate Islamabad capital territory and SSP Islamabad against the December 29 orders. The petition was drafted by Additional Attorney General for Pakistan Waqar Rana. It said that the respondent misrepresented contents of the federal capital’s detention order before the IHC.

Expressing apprehension in the Supreme Court, the government contended that there is likelihood of the accused causing damage to the state’s key installations and at sensitive public places, provided that he is affiliated with a proscribed organisation. It also contended that the high court’s order was illegal and liable to be set aside, adding that the court had passed the order on a complete misreading of the law, without due consideration of the relevant facts and circumstances.

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