Islamabad: In another move set to enrage India, the Islamabad High Court on Monday issued an interim order to cancel detention notification of 2008 Mumbai attacks accused Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, paving the way for his release out of jail.
However, the 26//11 attacks accused cannot walk out of the jail, until the order is signed by a judge.
The move comes just a couple of days after Lakhvi, the 26/11 attacks mastermind on Friday challenged his detention under a public security order in the high court.
Earlier, the Pakistan government had rejected his plea seeking release.
Meanwhile, upset with the detention order cancellation of 26/11 mastermind, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has summoned Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit. Pakistan’s dilly-dallying over the trial of seven Pakistani suspects accused of planning and executing 26/11 carnage in Mumbai remains to be one of the most bitter irritants between the two neighbours.
After being granted bail on December 18 by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi, Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Lakhvi was put under preventive detention for three more months under Public Maintenance Order in Adiala Jail where the trial is being held.
After the granting of bail to Lakhvi triggered sharp criticism from India, the Pakistan government had sought to defend the move by calling it a “technical error” and promised to challenge the bail in a high court.
However, it took the Pakistani government more than a week to collect a copy of the court’s bail order that was needed to file the appeal.
