Lahore: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the Punjab government to produce sensitive reports against Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the alleged mastermind behind Mumbai attacks, on April 9 in connection with his detention case.
The court was hearing petition of Lakhvi challenging his fourth one-month detention ordered by the Okara DCO on March 14.
Lahore High Court Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq issued the order while hearing Lakhvi’s petition challenging his detention under the Maintenance of Public Order.
Justice Haq directed the government’s counsel to submit “record of secret documents and activities of Lakhvi” on April 9 and adjourned the hearing till that date.
Lakhvi’s counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi told the court that in the light of LHC’s earlier direction he had filed a representation before the Punjab home secretary against Lakhvi’s “illegal” detention but he (the home secretary) dismissed it and upheld the 30-day detention order issued by District Coordination Officer, Okara.
Lakhvi hails from Okara district of Punjab province of Pakistan.
Abbasi argued that a person could not be detained beyond 90 days without obtaining an order from review board and the detention period of his client had gone beyond 90 days.
“A provincial review board (comprising judges of the high court) should be constituted to take up this matter,” he pleaded.
He informed the LHC that the trial court had released his client on bail in December 2014, however, the district magistrate of Islamabad issued his detention order.
Later, the Islamabad High Court had set aside Lakhvi’s detention and ordered the government for his immediate release.
However, he said another detention order was issued by the DCO Okara and Lakhvi was not released, requesting the court to strike down the impugned order and direct the government to release his client.
The Islamabad High Court on March 13 had suspended the government’s detention order for Lakhvi and ordered his immediate release.
The following day the Punjab government (DCO Okara) issued a detention order for Lakhvi for another 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order, before he could be released by Adiala Jail Rawalpindi authorities.
The court directed the government’s counsel to submit record of secret documents about activities of Lakhvi on Thursday.
Lakhvi and six others have been charged with planning and executing the 2008 Mumbai attack which killed 166 people and injured over 300.
(With inputs from PTI)