[JURIST] Pakistan’s Islamabad High Court (IHC) [official website] on Monday ordered the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court to conclude its case over the 2008 attacks in Mumbai [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive] within the next two months. The case has been ongoing since 2009 against seven suspects being tried in Pakistan with connection to the attacks, which killed 166 people and damaged relations between India and Pakistan. The IHC warned that if the case did not meet its two-month deadline, it would approve the government’s plea for cancellation of the bail [JURIST report] granted last week to suspected mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman. It meanwhile adjourned the case regarding the cancellation of Lakhvi’s bail until the deadline passes. One of judges also reportedly [Tribune India report] informed the court that Lakhvi’s bail was likely to be cancelled if his lawyers caused any delay in the case.

A Pakistan court ordered Lakhvi’s release less than a month after Pakistan authorities reordered his detention [JURIST report]. The Supreme Court of Pakistan overturned [JURIST report] Lakhvi’s release in January. Lakhvi was granted bail in early December, but the government immediately imposed a three-month detention order to keep him in prison. However, Lakhvi appealed this order and was released in late December. Hours after his release, Lakhvi was in police custody [JURIST report] again for an alleged kidnapping. The latest detention of Lakhvi comes after his January 12 hearing. In 2012, India executed the sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Mohammad Ajmal Kasab [WSJ backgrounder; JURIST news archive]. In August 2009 India sentenced three terrorists to death for their part in similar attacks in 2003 [JURIST report].