Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi released from Adiala jail

TNN

Lahore/New Delhi, 10 Apr 2015: Mumbai attacks mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi has been released from Paksitan’s Adiala jail. 

 

Lakhvi was allowed to leave jail on Thursday night in secrecy, Times Now reported. 

 

JuD representatives were present outside the prison to receive Lakhvi, who was shifted to an unspecified location after his release, Pakistan’s Geo TV reported quoting sources.

 

The Lahore high court on Thursday suspended the Punjab government’s order to detain Lakhvi under a security act and ordered his immediate release.

 

Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq of Lahore high court (LHC) suspended the detention of 55-year-old Lakhvi under maintenance of public order after the government failed to present sensitive records against him in the court. 

 

The judge ordered Lakhvi to submit two surety bonds worth Rs 1 million each for his release. 

 

"The law officer had submitted important information about Lakhvi, but the court did not accept this and declared the evidence unsatisfactory," an official of LHC said. 

 

Lakhvi had challenged the March 14 order of Punjab government’s district coordination officer, Okara to detain him for 30 days.

 

 

Reacting to the development, external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said "our concerns on this issue have been made known to the Government of Pakistan in the past. These shall be reiterated". 

 

"The fact is that known terrorists not being effectively prosecuted constitutes a real security threat for India and the world. This also erodes the value of assurances repeatedly conveyed to us with regard to cross-border terrorism," he said in New Delhi. 

 

The home ministry also said it was an "extremely disappointing development" and asked Islamabad to immediately ensure that Lakhvi does not come out of jail. 

 

"This is an extremely disappointing development. Pakistan must ensure that terrorists like Lakhvi do not come out of jail," a senior Home Ministry official said. 

 

"Pakistan should immediately take all legal measures at appropriate forum to ensure that justice is delivered to the victims of Mumbai terror attack," the official said. 

 

Lakhvi and six others - Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum - have been charged with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in November, 2008 that left 166 people dead. 

 

Lakhvi, a close relative of LeT founder and Jamaat-Ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, was arrested in December 2008 and was indicted along with the six others on November 25, 2009 in connection with the 26/11 attack case. The trial has been underway since 2009.