In-camera hearing to be held in Lakhvi detention case
14 Jan 2015 1:39 AM GMT
“The deputy attorney general today informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that the government had ‘strong evidence’ against Lakhvi which could not be shared in open proceedings,” a court official said after a hearing.
“He requested the court to hold in-camera proceedings so that the government could present the evidence against the accused, justifying its decision to detain him under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO),” the official said. IHC Judge Noorul Haq Qureshi accepted the government’s plea and adjourned the hearing till tomorrow, the official added.
The IHC has taken up the case on the direction of the Supreme Court which earlier had set aside its decision to suspend the government’s order to detain Lakhvi under MPO. A two-member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja had referred the case back to the IHC for a “complete hearing” before giving a final decision.
The apex court had observed that the IHC seemed to have taken the decision in haste as it did not even hear the government’s arguments. On December 18, 2014, an anti-terrorism court granted bail to Lakhvi, who was involved in planning, financing and executing the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008.
The Pak government, however, detained him the next day under MPO but IHC Judge Qureshi suspended Lakhvi’s detention due to “weak legal ground”.
Just before he was to be released from Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, Lakhvi was arrested on charges of kidnapping an Afghan national named Muhammad Anwar Khan.
“He requested the court to hold in-camera proceedings so that the government could present the evidence against the accused, justifying its decision to detain him under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO),” the official said. IHC Judge Noorul Haq Qureshi accepted the government’s plea and adjourned the hearing till tomorrow, the official added.
The IHC has taken up the case on the direction of the Supreme Court which earlier had set aside its decision to suspend the government’s order to detain Lakhvi under MPO. A two-member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja had referred the case back to the IHC for a “complete hearing” before giving a final decision.
The apex court had observed that the IHC seemed to have taken the decision in haste as it did not even hear the government’s arguments. On December 18, 2014, an anti-terrorism court granted bail to Lakhvi, who was involved in planning, financing and executing the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008.
The Pak government, however, detained him the next day under MPO but IHC Judge Qureshi suspended Lakhvi’s detention due to “weak legal ground”.
Just before he was to be released from Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, Lakhvi was arrested on charges of kidnapping an Afghan national named Muhammad Anwar Khan.
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