Lakhvi files another plea in Pakistan court challenging detention

Islamabad: LeT operations commander and 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi on Wednesday filed a contempt of court plea against the Punjab government in the High Court in Islamabad, challenging his detention under a security act despite the court’s ruling to free him. “The government has committed contempt by not following the direction of the IHC order,” Lakhvi pleaded. [caption id=“attachment_2173327” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi in a file photo. Reuters[/caption] “The contempt of court proceedings should be proceeded against the government for violating its order again and again,” the 55-year-old LeT operations commander pleaded. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) summoned Punjab’s Interior Secretary and Home Secretary on April 14 in connection with the plea, Lakhvi’s counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi told PTI. “The IHC for the second time has suspended the government’s order to detain his client under the Maintenance of Public Order. But the government is determined to violate the court’s order,” Abbasi said. “We have requested the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the government and ensure freedom of his client as he has already been on bail.” The Punjab government on 14 March detained Lakhvi for another 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order, before he could be released by Adiala Jail Rawalpindi authorities. The IHC on March 13 suspended the government’s detention order for Lakhvi and ordered his immediate release. “Since the government could not produce any solid evidence against the detention of Lakhvi under Maintenance of Public Order there has been no legal ground to detain him any more under that law. Lakhvi should be released immediately if he is not required in any other criminal case,” the court had said. Lakhvi subsequently challenged the Punjab government’s order in the Lahore HC, but it dismissed the plea. On December 18, 2014, the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court, granted bail to Lakhvi but he was detained the very next day under the MPO. However, the IHC suspended Lakhvi’s detention on “weak legal grounds.” Just before he was to be released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, Lakhvi was arrested on charges of kidnapping an Afghan national in 2009. He has been granted bail in the case. Later, the government challenged the HC’s order in the Supreme Court which suspended its order. Lakhvi again challenged his detention and got relief from the court on March 13. Lakhvi, and six others have been charged with planning and executing the 2008 Mumbai attack that left 166 people dead. PTI