New Delhi/Islamabad: Soon after a Pakistani anti-terror court granted bail to top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, India reacted strongly to the terrorist being allowed to come out of jail. Ministry of External Affairs sources say India is not satisfied with Pakistan's excuse of technical error in Lakhvi securing bail.
While Pakistani officials claim their lawyer was not present in the court when Lakhvi's bail application came up for hearing, the terrorist's lawyer Raja Rizwan Abbasi rubbished it saying his client's application had merit. "I have a very strong case of my client Lakhvi and if the government opposes his bail I will again fight the case," said the lawyer.
Talking to CNN-IBN, Abbasi informed that only Lakhvi was granted bail and he will be released from jail in two to three days. The bail application was moved by the defence lawyer on December 10 and the matter was heard by the court on Thursday. "The case was argued from both side and there is no technical error. The bail has been granted on merit," the Abbasi added.
Contrary to Pakistan's claims both defence and prosecution lawyers were present in the court during the bail hearing. Prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar said, "Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad Judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi today granted bail to Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi." Azhar said the prosecution had to produce more witnesses before this decision had come which they were not expecting. "We were not expecting this decision as we have to produce a good number of witnesses in the case. We are awaiting the court's detailed order before giving further comment on the decision," he said.
MEA sources say Lakhvi's bail indicates that it is meant to strengthen LeT operational planning and also implies total lack of control of Pakistan's civilian regime in such serious judicial matters. Sources say the bail is also a part of ratcheting of LeT's parent body Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed's anti-India litany which was also heard on Wednesday when he accused India of being behind the barbaric massacre of 151 people, a majority of them students, in an attack on Peshawar's Army Public School and College. It also exposes that Pakistani polity and establishment continue to believe in terror mechanism being part of state policy, the sources add.
Along with Lakhvi, six others - Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid - had also filed applications for bail on Wednesday in the court in Rawalpindi.
The court directed Lakhvi to pay surety bonds worth Pakistani Rs 5,00,000 before he can be released on bail. The bail application of the other six is also due to be heard soon. However, Lakhvi's verdict is likely to have an impact on the decision for bail of the other six accused as well.
Despite, Lakhvi getting bail just two days after the Peshawar massacre, Pakistani officials maintained that they were committed in their fight against terror. It is also ironic that it came just a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pledged to announce a "national plan" to tackle terrorism within a week, saying "this entire region" should be cleaned of terrorism.
India has maintained that Lakhvi was LeT's operational head and had directed the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai in November 2008 in which 166 people were killed and several others injured. According to Indian dossiers Lakhvi and Zarar Shah were the key planners of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack which lasted for over 60 hours.
Nine of the terrorists involved in the attack were killed by Indian security forces. The only surviving attacker, Ajmal Kasab, was hanged after conviction by a trial court that was confirmed and upheld by higher courts in India.
Lakhvi's role in 26/11 Mumbai attack:
Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi persuaded, guided and handled David Headley for conducting reconnaissance in India which resulted in death of 166 persons and injury to 238 persons in the 26/11 attack.
Around March 2008, a meeting was held in Muzaffarabad. Headley along with the other co-conspirators based in Pakistan i.e. Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Majid, Muzzamil and Abu Qahafa participated in this meeting. One Frogman to whom Headley was introduced as Abdur Rehman had also participated in the meeting. The meeting discussed the potential landing sites for the attack in Mumbai. Following the discussion Headley was given the task of identifying the landing sites for the attackers in Mumbai.
Upon the return of Headley to Pakistan he met Major Iqbal in Lahore and handed over the videos to Major Iqbal. Headley also met Sajid Majid in Rawalpindi. In pursuance of the said criminal conspiracy to attack different places as videographed by accused Headley, Sajid Majid, Zakiur Rehman Lahkvi, Abu Anas and Abu Qahafa held a meeting. In this meeting Abu Qahafa plotted the points marked by Headley in the GPS on his laptop to get an idea of the sea route to be followed and landing sites to be identified. The egress points of the attackers were also discussed during this meeting.
In or around June 2008, on the directions of the Pakistan based co-conspirators David Coleman Headley separately met Lashkar Member Sajid Majid, Abu Qahafa, Zaki-ur-Lakhvi, Abu Anes in Muzzaffarabad, and Major Iqbal in Lahore
In or around first week of August 2008 a meeting of top hierarchy of LeT (known as Sura of Zaki) headed by Zaki (A-4) was held in Muzaffarabad. This meeting was held to finalise the 26/11 Mumbai attack. The conspirators based in Pakistan finally approved a strong hold option over the egress option.
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