26/11 mastermind Lakhvi back in detention

Islamabad, March 14: A day after the detention orders of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, an alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, were declared void by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the home ministry of Pakistan's Punjab province reordered his detention on Saturday. Earlier media reports said the Pakistan government had ordered his detention. IHC's Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi on Friday accepted Lakhvi's appeal filed against his third time detention order and ordered his immediate release. Lakhvi had been granted bail in both cases against him, including the 2008 Mumbai attack case and the six-year-old case pertaining to the kidnapping of an Afghan national, Dawn reported. IHC's decision drew a sharp reaction from New Delhi and the Indian external affairs ministry summoned Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit and sought an explanation over Lakhvi's release. Commenting on the IHC order to release Lakhvi, India's home ministry said in a statement, "It is the responsibility of the Pakistan government to take all legal measures to ensure that Lakhvi does not come out of jail." Lakhvi is accused of being the mastermind of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people.