ISLAMABAD, April 10 (UPI) -- A Pakistani court on Thursday, ordered the release of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, a suspect in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack that killed 166 people.
At the time of the three-day assault on the Indian city, Lakhvi was reportedly head of the banned Laskhar-iTaiba (LeT) militant group. He and six others are still awaiting trial on charges of planning and carrying out the attacks.
The Lahore High Court's decision to overturn a government-imposed detention order was in line with two previous court rulings in December by the Islamabad High Court and Pakistan's anti-terrorism court to grant bail to Lakhvi.
The Pakistani government had attempted to keep Lakhvi behind bars under a "maintenance of public order."
News of Lakhvi's release on Friday has enraged many. "The fact is that known terrorists not being effectively prosecuted constitutes a real security threat for India and the world," said India's eternal affairs ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin. "This also erodes the value of assurances repeatedly conveyed to us with regard to cross border terrorism."
Lakhvi's location following his release from the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi was unclear.
