Yet again, a Pakistani court has ordered Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, one of the architects of the 2008 suicide assault in Mumbai, India that resulted in the deaths of more than 160 people, to be released from prison.
Lakhvi, a military commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist outfit that has close links to al Qaeda and is supported by Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence Directorate, the military, and elements of the government, was reluctantly identified by the Pakistani government as being the “mastermind” of the Mumbai assault. The charge was leveled just weeks after the attack.
This is the third time a Pakistani court has ordered his release since December 2014 (see this timeline). And even while in custody, he was “living a life of comfort:”
“He [Lakhvi] can receive any number of guests, any time of the day or night, seven days a week,” a jail official told BBC.
It was further alleged in the report that inside his jail cell, Lakhvi enjoys the use of a television, mobile phone and internet access. Moreover, none of his visitors have to identify themselves to jail officials.
Lakhvi follows his boss, Hafiz Saeed, who has been detained numerous times for various offenses, only to be released from custody without consequence. And Saeed, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist who has a $10 million bounty on his head, also rode out his “detention” by living comfortably at home.
The Pakistani military and government claim to be committed to fighting jihadist terrorist groups, but in reality they only target the jihadist organizations that don’t conform to the government’s wishes and insist on attacking the state. Until Pakistan is serious about dismantling the terrorist groups it helped create as part of its program of strategic depth against India, the country will remain a state sponsor of terrorism.
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9 Comments
The person on the right next to Lakhvi is not Hafiz Saeed, but Syed Salahudeen (real name: Mohammed Yusaf Shah), leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, an islamic terrorist organisation, that is sponsored by Pakistan’s ISI and the same terrorist organisation is also the military wing of the Pakistani Muslim political party Jamaat-e-Islami. Syed Salahudeen is known for wearing flat caps, whereas Hafiz Saeed wears typical Afghan caps or the Pakol, as they’re known in the Pashtun areas.
Birbar,
You of course are correct; I changed the caption. Thank you for catching it. I had this right years ago, when I ran this picture. Not sure what happened today… See here:
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/05/hizbul_mujahideen_ch.php
Thank you
U mispelled Birbal’s name although I must admit I’m a big fan of Beerbar’s
India should let there balls swing a rip a page out of the Israeli book, Operation “Wrath of God” ala “wrath of Kartikeya”.
Birbal, what’s you opinion of Hizb ut-Tahrir? Aen'[t they much the same as HM? Why are they (HT) not banned in the US and UK?
“A spokesperson for Hizb ut-Tahrir in the UK denied any involvement with the Nusra Front and al-Qaeda in Syria.
Hizb ut-Tahrir (Arabic for Party of Liberation) is an international Muslim organisation which, like ISIS, advocates a single Islamic state, or caliphate…”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3034733/100-members-controversial-Islamic-group-linked-radicalised-British-students-including-Jihadi-John-joined-forces-al-Qaeda-Syria.html
Well Hizb ut-Tahir is not even banned in India, although they are in Pakistan. Another thing to think off !!
Gosh, I didn’t know that. There’s so much work to do….
One day the Pakistanis will reap what they sow!! As the old saying goes, ” what comes around comes around”!