Kundi said only two cases were registered against Lakhvi across the country. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday barred the federal government from registering further cases against Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, without bringing it to the court’s notice.
While hearing a petition filed by Lakhvi, who has challenged his detention by the government, IHC Justice Noorul Haq N Qureshi observed that liberty of any citizen could not be withheld, and asked Additional Attorney General Afnan Karim Kundi not to register any case against Lakhvi without informing the court.
Kundi said only two cases were registered against Lakhvi across the country.
The Islamabad deputy commissioner issued Lakhvi’s detention orders under the Maintenance of Public Order on December 18, 2014 and since then it has been extended for thrice. Currently, Lakhvi is under detention in Adiala Jail.
When the court resumed hearing into the case on Monday, Lakhvi’s counsel Rizwan Abbasi argued that the local administration has extended the detention orders of his client for the third time despite the fact that an anti-terrorism court had granted him bail and the detention was illegal. He requested the court to suspend the detention orders.
On February 28, a judicial magistrate had deferred Lakhvi’s indictment in kidnapping case after he failed to appear in court owing to security reasons.
EOBI scandal
In a separate hearing, Justice Qureshi adjourned the bail application of former chairman of the employee’s old age benefit institution (EOBI) Zafar Gondal till March 6. Gondal is the main accused in a multi billion land scam of EOBI. Legal counsel for Gondal, Farooq H Naek, submitted some additional documents before the court with regards to the bail application of his client.
The bench directed Naek to provide copies of the documents to the federal government’s counsel.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 3rd, 2015.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ