A Pakistani court on Thursday directed the Punjab Government to decide “within five days” the detention matter of leT operations commander and 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki ur Rehman lakhvi. lahore High Court Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa ordered the home department of the Punjab Hovernment to decide the detention matter by March 31.
lakhvi on Wednesday filed a contempt of court petition in the lHC seeking a direction for the State Government to decide his detention matter in the light of an order passed by Islamabad High Court (IHC). The IHC on March 13 had suspended the Government’s detention order for lakhvi and ordered his immediate release. Just before his release next day, the Punjab government issued a detention order for lakhvi for another 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order.
“After hearing the arguments from the lakhvi’s counsel and a law officer Justice Bajwa disposed off the petition with a direction to the home department (Punjab Government) to decide the detention matter of the petitioner within five days,” a court official told PTI.
last week, Bajwa had dismissed lakhvi’s petition challenging the Punjab Government’s decision to detain him for another 30 days (till April 12). lakhvi also filed a contempt of court petition in Islamabad High Court against the Punjab Government’s decision.