The government on Friday said that it was “extremely upset” over the verdict of a court in Islamabad ordering release of Lashkar terrorist and 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and has lodged a strong protest with the Pakistan government.
The matter has been “raised at high levels” in Pakistan, official sources said.
“India is extremely upset with the verdict and as a first step lodged a strong protest with the Pakistan government,” the sources said.
According to media reports, the government has summoned Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit to lodge its protest in this regard.
Lakhvi may have been granted bail, but let judicial process take its course, Pakistan High Commissioner Basit later said.
In its reaction, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said, “It is the responsibility of the Pakistan government to take all legal measures to ensure that Lakhvi does not come out of jail.”
The Home Ministry, while cautioning Pakistan to realise that “there are no good or bad terrorists,” said, “The overwhelming evidence against 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi has not been presented properly before court by Pakistani agencies:”
The statements from the Home Ministry came shortly after Justice Noorul Haq accepted 55-year-old Lakhvi’s appeal filed against his third time detention orders and ordered his immediate release.
The issue of Lakhvi’s release was also raised in Parliament, where lawmakers of various political parties severely condemned the move.
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.
