PAKISTAN-INDIA/MILITANT-PROTESTS Activists protest in New Delhi after Pakistan frees accused mastermind of Mumbai attack on bail

Record ID: 1377185

  • Title: PAKISTAN-INDIA/MILITANT-PROTESTS Activists protest in New Delhi after Pakistan frees accused mastermind of Mumbai attack on bail
  • Date: 12th April 2015
  • Summary: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (FILE- JANUARY 1, 2015) (REUTERS) ACCUSED MASTERMIND OF 2008 MUMBAI ATTACK , ZAKI-UR-REHMAN LAKHVI, BEING ESCORTED BY POLICE OFFICIALS LAKHVI WALKING
  • Embargoed: 28th April 2015 09:59
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Pakistan
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2DMLRIFGB2VJY52HUBS5CJVJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    Activists from India's hardline Shiv Sena party protested in New Delhi on Saturday (April 11) after a Pakistani court freed on bail a man accused of plotting the 2008 assault on India's financial capital Mumbai that killed 166 people.
    The decision to release Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi on Friday (April 10) came months after India and Pakistan engaged in their worst cross-border violence in more than a decade in the disputed Kashmir region.
    The move provoked a sharp rebuke from India, which warned that relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours were deteriorating. The United States said it was "gravely" concerned by the court move.
    Activists in New Delhi protested against Lahkvi's release and set the Pakistani flag alight during their demonstration.
    "Shiv Sena strongly demands Pakistan to hand over Lakhvi to India or else we will not let any Pakistani live in New Delhi," one activist, Babu Rao said.
    India's Ministry for External Affairs swiftly condemned the decision.
    In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it was concerned and considering what steps to take next.
    India's Opposition Congress party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the release reflected poorly on Pakistan.
    "I have already said that 'disgust' is the only word which describes every Indian's sentiment at the release of Lakhvi. It reflects very poorly on the Pakistan executive, judiciary, legislative structure and creates a Frankenstein monster which is bound to break on the hand that feeds it," he said.
    Junior Interior Minister, Kiren Rijiju said documents provided to the Pakistani court by India has not been presented in full.
    "They have not prepared the case according to the available documents which we have provided to them. They have not presented the case with full documents before the court, which led to the release of the terrorist. We are strongly protesting it and we would like to ask the Pakistani government not to discriminate in dealing with the terrorist. A terrorist is a terrorist; it cannot be a bad terrorist or good terrorist," he said.
    India blamed the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the Mumbai attack. Ten gunmen infiltrated the city by boat and spent three days spraying bullets and throwing grenades around city landmarks, including a train station and a Jewish centre. Indian investigators said Lakhvi was the Lashkar-e-Taiba military chief.
    Israel's Embassy spokesman in India, Ohad Horsandi, said Lakhvi's release was a setback.
    "Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind behind the 26/11 attacks the same attacks in which Israeli nationals and the Jewish centre 'The Nariman House' was also targeted. This release is a setback in the war against terror, in the international efforts against terror in which Israel and India are both close partners," he said.
    Lakhvi was arrested in Pakistan in 2009 and later that year he and six other suspects were charged in connection with the Mumbai attack. Local media said at the time they had pleaded not guilty.
    Relations between India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars since independence in 1947, nosedived after the assault and have not fully recovered. A dispute over the Kashmir region periodically flares into violence.
    Lakhvi was originally granted bail by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad on December 18, two days after an attack on a high school in the Pakistan city of Peshawar killed 132 children. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault. The fact that he was granted bail just two days after the school massacre forced the government to detain Lakhvi under "Maintenance of Public Order" legislation.
    His lawyer told Reuters on Friday (April 10) that his client had been granted bail once more because of insufficient evidence.
    His release prompted some outrage on social media.
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