Mastermind of Mumbai attacks Zakiur Rehman detained under MPO

ISLAMABAD: The alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi has been detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), a day after being granted bail by an anti-terrorism court.

The federal government has decided to approach the Supreme Court to have Lakhvi’s bail cancelled.

The ATC had granted bail to Lakhavi on surety bonds of Rs 500,000. Arguments for Lakhvi were made by Advocate Rizwan Abbasi while the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar made arguments against the accused being granted bail.

Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was arrested in February 2009 and was indicted along with six others on 25 November 2009 for planning and helping to carry out the Mumbai attacks.

Lakhvi was believed to be the operational chief of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which has been accused by India of carrying out the attacks in Mumbai.

The 2008 attacks, when gunmen rampaged through Mumbai for three days, sent relations into deep freeze. India blamed Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the attack and handed over intercepts to use as evidence in the Lakhvi case.