Pakistan court declares 26/11 accused Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi’s detention void

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: India on Friday said it was “extremely upset” over the verdict of a court in Islamabad ordering release of Lashkar terrorist Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and has lodged a strong protest with the Pakistan government.

The ministry of external affairs also summoned Pakistani high commissioner Abdul Basit to lodge a protest, Times Now reported.

India on Friday said it is the responsibility of Pakistan to keep him behind bars as there is overwhelming evidence of his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

“It is the responsibility of the Pakistan government to take all legal measures to ensure that Lakhvi does not come out of jail. Pakistan should realise that there are no good terrorists and bad terrorists, a fact which has been globally accepted,” a home ministry spokesperson said here.

“The overwhelming evidence against Lakhvi regarding his role in the criminal conspiracy leading to the Mumbai attack has not been properly presented in the Pakistani court by the Pakistani agencies. This should be ensured without delay,” the spokesperson said.

The strong reaction came within hours of the Islamabad high court (IHC) declaring as void the detention order of the LeT operations commander Lakhvi, who was also the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind.

Justice Noorul Haq accepted 55-year-old Lakhvi’s appeal filed against his third time detention orders and ordered his immediate release