Backed by the international community, India on Saturday urged Pakistan to file a fresh appeal against the release of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman lakhvi. Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that Pakistan should use all the evidence given by India against lakhvi to make a strong case against him. France, US and Israel have reacted strongly over the release of lakhvi and extended support to India in its war against terror.
“We have given all the evidence related to Mumbai terror attack to Pakistan. He has been freed because Pakistan did not present the evidence given by us properly in the court and also because they have not pursued this case seriously. This exposes the twin face of Pakistan when it comes to fighting terrorists. We condemn this in strictest terms. Pakistan should use all the evidence given by India against lakhvi,” Rijiju said. Home Minister Rajnath Singh said lakhvi’s walk to freedom will weaken Indo-Pak relations.
Pakistan, however, has put the entire blame on India, saying “inordinate delay in extending cooperation by India complicated the case and weakened the prosecution.” The Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad in a statement said that since lakhvi’s case is sub judiced “it would not be proper to cast aspersions on Pakistan’s commitment to countering terrorism at a time when Pakistan has entered a critical stage of defeating menace of justice.”
In France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a veiled message to Pakistan, said no country should provide shelter to terrorists but punish them. “There is a need for global action to deal with terrorism. All nations should commit that they will not provide shelter to terrorists but punish them…The world is facing many challenges. There is an upheaval in the world and all are affected... Terror is spreading in new forms in various countries,” Modi said during a joint Press interaction with French President Francois Hollande after their talks in Paris.
In a reference to lakhvi, Hollande said he understands anger in India over the release of a person who is responsible for such a reprehensible act. While Hollande thanked Modi for his “solidarity” over the Islamist attacks in the French capital in January, he said: “In the same vein, I express to you my indignation each time that a terrorist is freed while he still has responsibility for an abominable act.”
Israel, for its part, said it is “surprised and disappointed” at lakhvi’s release. Israeli Ambassador Daniel Carmon in a statement termed it a “setback for the international efforts in the war against terror in which India and Israel are close partners.”
“Israel is surprised and disappointed by the release of Zaki-ur Rehman lakhvi, the mastermind of the 26/11/08 Mumbai attacks in which as part of the horrific attack also Israeli nationals and a Jewish centre — the Nariman House — were targeted. This release is a setback for the international efforts in the war against terror in which India and Israel are close partners,” Carmon said. Two Israeli-Americans, two Israeli nationals, four American and two French nationals were among 166 who died during the Mumbai attack.
Expressing grave concern over the release of lakhvi, the US has asked Pakistan to follow through on its commitment to bring the perpetrators of the assault to justice. “We are gravely concerned about the release on bail of alleged Mumbai-attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman lakhvi,” State Department acting spokesperson Jeff Rathke said in Washington.
“We have communicated that concern to senior Pakistani officials over the course of many months, and as recently as yesterday,” he said. “Terrorist attacks are an assault on the collective safety and security of all countries. Pakistan has pledged its cooperation in bringing the perpetrators, financiers, and sponsors of the Mumbai attacks to justice, and we urge Pakistan to follow through on that commitment to ensure justice for the 166 innocent people, including six Americans, who lost their lives,” he said . “...Certainly bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks to justice is a key priority, and we stand by that. So, we’ll continue working in that direction,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena cadre staged a protest against Pakistan in New Delhi over the release of lakhvi, demanding that Pakistan should be declared a terrorist state. Shouting anti-Pakistan slogans they burnt posters of lakhvi, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistani Flag.