Pakistan to challenge Lakhvi's conditional release

The Pakistan government has decided to challenge in the Supreme Court 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's conditional bail granted by the Islamabad High Court.

The petition, prepared by the attorney general, will be filed by the Islamabad district administration. It will present the stance that the Islamabad High Court did not hear the government's version while granting bail to Lakhvi, Dawn online reported.

On Monday, the Islamabad High Court ordered the conditional release of Lakhvi, asking him to deposit a security bond of Pakistani Rs.1 million (around $9,000).

Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi presided over Monday's hearing in response to Lakhvi's petition, seeking an end to his detention.

A court in Islamabad Tuesday sent Lakhvi to two days' judicial remand in an abduction case a day after the Islamabad High Court court approved his release.

Earlier on Dec 18, Lakhvi was granted post-arrest bail by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad. However, the federal government extended his detention in the Adiala Jail under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.

Lakhvi is among the seven persons charged with planning and helping to carry out the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The six other men facing trial in Adiala Jail for their alleged involvement in the Mumbai attacks are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid.

At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) that has been accused by India of being the perpetrator.

Lakhvi, along with Zarar Shah, was allegedly the key planner of the attack that killed 166 people and left over 300 injured in Mumbai.