Pakistan frees Lakhvi, angry India slams move
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Lashkare-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, walked out of a Pakistani jail on Friday after a court ordered his release.
India reacted angrily, saying his release was an “insult” to victims of the Mumbai carnage and “reinforced the perception that Pakistan has a dual policy” for dealing with terrorists who pose a threat to India.
Lakhvi was freed from the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where he had been held since his arrest during an army raid on an LeT camp in Muzaffarabad a week after the attacks on India’s financial hub that killed 166 and injured hundreds.
The Lahore High Court ordered Lakhvi’s release on Thursday as the government was unable to convince it of the evidence linking him to the attacks. It ordered his release on the payment of a `2 million ($20,000) bond. The court rejected the contention of authorities that Lakhvi was detained on the basis of secret information provided by intelligence agencies.
There was jubilation in Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) circles. A large number of JuD activists received Lakhvi outside the jail from where he was immediately moved to unknown location amid tight security. In a Friday prayer sermon, JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed told supporters that the “(Pakistan) government’s hypocrisy had been exposed”.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said India’s high commissioner registered New Delhi’s strong concerns with Pakistan’s foreign secretary over Lakhvi’s release.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh described the release as a disappointing development. “India wants talks with Pakistan but the present development is unfortunate and disappointing,” he said. SYED AKBARUDDIN, MEA spokesman RAJNATH SINGH, Union home minister ANAND SHARMA, Cong leader