India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the latest verdict by a court in Islamabad ordering release of lashkar-e-Tayyeba terrorist Zaki ur Rehman lakhvi. India has told Pakistan that bail to the key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks is unacceptable. Secretary (East) Anil Wadhwa on Friday summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit to express that India was “extremely upset” with this verdict and that it is the responsibility of Pakistan to keep him behind bars since there is overwhelming evidence of his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Wadhwa is officiating as the Foreign Secretary in the absence of S Jaishankar, who is with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a three-nation tour. India simultaneously raised the matter with senior officials in the Pakistani Government through its High Commission in Islamabad. “India today conveyed its outrage to Pakistan at the release of lakhvi, one of the key accused in the Mumbai terror attacks. This goes against Pakistan’s professed commitment to combat terrorism, including its recently stated policy of not differentiating amongst terrorists. If such a person, who is also a designated international terrorist by the United Nations, is released it will pose a threat that cannot be ignored,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju pointed out that despite being given sufficient evidence by India of lakhvi’s involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks Pakistani agencies had not presented them in the courts. India has given the voice samples of lakhvi talking with those executing the heinous crime in Mumbai and a confession statement by terrorist Ajmal Kasab to the Pakistani Government. Besides, there was also the statement by David Coleman Headley, alleged co-conspirator of the 26/11 attack, who elaborated about lakhvi’s role. However, since lakhvi has refused to give his voice samples the audio evidence against him is not admissible in Pakistani courts.
Rijiju indicated that there was a deliberate attempt by Pakistan to weaken the case against lakhvi that led to the court ordering his release. “You can read. The way the case has been handled by Pakistani agencies. Our concern is Pakistan should deal with terrorists in a manner in which the whole global community is looking at,” he said. “There is no bad or good terrorist, a fact which has been globally accepted,” Rijiju said. “We (Home Ministry) have already communicated to MEA and our stand is very clear that Pakistani Government must ensure that all steps are taken to prevent lakhvi’s release from jail,” he said.
lakhvi had challenged his detention by Pakistani police after he was allowed to walk free by a court in December last year. Following protests from India and an intervention by United States of America the Pakistani Government had kept him under detention despite the court order in December. 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.
Meanwhile, some Congress members including Pramod Tiwari and Rajiv Shukla raised the lakhvi issue in the Rajya Sabha and said it was failure of India’s foreign policy.