Islamabad High Court Sets Two-Month Deadline To Dispose 2008 Mumbai Attack Case

13 April, Islamabad

Islamabad High Court in Pakistan Monday set a two-month deadline for the trial court to conclude the 2008 Mumbai attack case. The court has warned that it would accede to Pakistan government’s plea to cancel the bail granted to the Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi if it failed to do so.

A two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court gave the “two-month deadline” to the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court to conclude the case against Lakhvi and six others going on since 2009. The bench was hearing the government’s plea for cancellation of 55-year-old Lakhvi’s bail.

Prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar said after the hearing here that the judge said in his order that the court would cancel Lakhvi’s bail if there was a delay on the part of his lawyers. Prosecution argued that the Mumbai case had been inordinately delayed because of the delaying tactics of the defence lawyers.

Lakhvi was released from Jail last Friday after the Lahore High Court suspended his detention under a security act. India lodged a strong protest over the release, saying the negative development reinforced the perception that Pakistan has a dual policy on dealing with terrorists.

Lakhvi, and six others have been charged with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in November, 2008 that left 166 people dead.