Don’t book Lakhvi in any new case: Pak court

Islamabad, March 2

A Pakistani court today barred the government from booking Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind, in any other case without its permission after his counsel argued that "false" cases might be slapped against him to keep him in jail.

Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Noorul Haq Qureshi today took up the plea of 55-year-old Lakhvi against his detention under the Public Security Act and issued a notice to the government for a reply on March 5.

On the request of Lakhvi's counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi, the judge restrained the government from filing any another case against him without bringing the matter into its notice. Abbasi informed the court that the government was planning to register another case against his client like it did when he was granted bail in the Mumbai attack case.

“The government earlier had registered a false case of abduction of an Afghan national, Anwer Khan, against his client but it could not prove anything against him in the court," he argued.

Talking to PTI after the hearing, Abbasi confirmed that the IHC had stopped the government from registering any another criminal case against Lakhvi without its permission.

"The court has also sought government's reply on the detention of Mr Lakhvi for March 5," he said. The IHC sent notices to the federal and district magistrates, seeking their replies on Lakhvi's detention and adjourned the hearing to March 5. — PTI