Pakistani police detain mastermind of Mumbai attacks on abduction charges News
Pakistani police detain mastermind of Mumbai attacks on abduction charges

[JURIST] Pakistani police have detained the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive] on abduction charges a day after a court ordered his release. Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was detained in Pakistani custody since 2008 for heading the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) [CFR backgrounder], which was held responsible for the Mumbai attacks that killed 165 individuals. Earlier this month, Lakhvi was granted bail [Business Insider report], but the government immediately imposed a three-month detention order to keep him in prison. Lakhvi successfully challenged [NDTV report] the order with the Islamabad High Court, and was conditionally released [BBC report] on Monday. Hours after his release, Lakhvi was in police custody again for the alleged kidnapping of a man. The Pakistani government has stated plans to challenge the original decision to grant Lakhvi bail.

Mumbai has suffered a number of terrorist attacks allegedly linked to the LeT in recent years, leading the government to consider controversial terrorism laws and to institute special courts [JURIST reports] to try suspects. Cross-examination [JURIST report] of the Pakistani-based businessman responsible for selling the boat engine used by the LeT in the attacks began in November 2013. The year prior, India executed the sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Mohammad Ajmal Kasab [WSJ backgrounder; JURIST news archive]. In August of 2009, India sentenced three terrorists to death for their part in similar attacks in 2003 [JURIST report]. In July India announced that it would continue the trial [JURIST report] of a man suspected in a 2008 hotel attack that killed more than 100 people, despite his mid-trial confession [JURIST report]. Pakistan has postponed the trial of five others [JURIST report] allegedly connected with the 2008 attack.