Islamabad, Jan 7 (IANS) The Supreme Court of Pakistan Wednesday overturned the suspension of detention of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and ordered that he remain in jail.
The apex court has sent the case back to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to hear the arguments of both parties without rushing through it.
The case will be heard again Jan 12.
The apex court declared the IHC’s order releasing Lakhvi from jail as void, and said he will remain in jail.
Lakhvi was arrested in February 2009 and was indicted along with six others Nov 25, 2009, for planning and helping to carry out the Mumbai terror attacks.
The six other men facing trial for their alleged involvement are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid.
At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) that has been accused by India of being the perpetrator.
The 2008 attacks, which saw 10 Pakistani gunmen rampage through Mumbai and then lay seige to a five-star hotel for three days totally killing 166 people, sent bilateral relations into deep freeze. India blamed the Pakistan-based militant group LeT for the attack and handed over intercepts to use as evidence in the Lakhvi case.
One Pakistani terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, caught alive was tried and convicted of the attacks, and sentenced to death by a special court in Mumbai. He was executed Nov 21, 2012.