Islamabad: Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind, will remain in jail after Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the High Court order suspending his detention.
The apex court sent the case back to the Islamabad High Court directing it to hear the arguments again and decide on merit without rushing through.
The case will be heard again on January 12 by the High Court. On December 18, 2014, the Anti-Terrorism Court had granted bail to Lakhvi, who was involved in planning, financing and executing the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008.
Next day, he was again detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO). However, Islamabad high court judge Noorul Haq Qureshi had suspended Lakhvi’s detention under MPO, evoking a strong reaction from India.
Just before he was to be released, Lakhvi was arrested on charges of kidnapping Afghan national Muhammad Anwar Khan. The police kept him at the Shalimar Police station for a two-day physical remand before a magistrate sent him back to Adiala Jail on Tuesday for a 14-day judicial custody.
Lakhvi has been detained at Adiala Prison for the last five years. 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 attacks in November, 2008 that left 166 people dead.
Lakhvi was arrested in December 2008 and was indicted along with the six others on November 25, 2009 in connection with the case. The trial has been underway since 2009.