Court docket sentences Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, a senior official of armed group Lashkar-e-Taiba, to 5 years in jail.
A Pakistan courtroom has sentenced Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, a senior chief of armed group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to 5 years in jail for “terrorism financing”.
Lakhvi and the group are accused by India and america of being behind the 2008 Mumbai assaults – although the costs or sentence will not be associated to any particular incident.
He was sentenced to 5 years concurrently on three counts, with a fantastic of 100,000 rupees ($622) on every depend, an order from the courtroom seen by Reuters mentioned.
India has lengthy referred to as on Pakistan to strive Lakhvi for the Mumbai assault, wherein greater than 160 folks have been killed, however Islamabad mentioned New Delhi has not given it concrete proof it could possibly use in a courtroom to strive the LeT chief, who it had initially arrested in 2008 however later launched on bail.
He was arrested once more on fees of “terrorism financing” on Saturday.
The US welcomed his arrest however referred to as for him to be tried for the Mumbai assaults, too.
“We are going to observe his prosecution & sentencing intently & urge that he be held accountable for his involvement within the Mumbai assaults,” the US State Division mentioned on Twitter.
In accordance with New Delhi, the lone surviving gunman of the assault, who was executed in 2012 after sentencing by an Indian courtroom, instructed interrogators the assailants have been in contact with Pakistan-born Lakhvi, who is alleged to be LeT’s chief of operations.
A UN Safety Council sanctions committee mentioned Lakhvi is concerned in armed group exercise in quite a few different areas and nations, together with Chechnya, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lakhvi’s lawyer didn’t reply to Reuters’s request for remark.
A spokesman for the Counter Terrorism Division mentioned in an announcement Lakhvi had been despatched to jail to serve the sentence.
One other man India says was the mastermind of the Mumbai siege, Hafiz Saeed, was convicted by a Pakistani courtroom on two fees of “terrorism financing” final yr.
Saeed denies involvement within the Mumbai assaults.