Washington: The United States on Saturday said that it was closely monitoring developments in Pakistan related to the release orders of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks key suspect Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
Responding to the reports at the daily press briefing, the State Department spokesman said the US hoped Pakistan would keep its commitment to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks to justice, but declined to speculate on the outcome of the ongoing legal process.
"The government of Pakistan has pledged its cooperation in bringing the perpetrators - financiers, and sponsors of the Mumbai terrorist attacks to justice and we urge Pakistan to follow through on that commitment," said Psaki.
India on Friday summoned Pakistan's envoy Abdul Basit to register protest against Lakhvi's release orders from Islamabad High Court.
Lakhvi, a senior figure of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba, is accused of being involved in planning, financing and executing the Mumbai attacks in 2008.
On December 29, 2014, the Islamabad High Court ordered conditional release of Lakhvi, drawing strong protests from India, which summoned the Pakistani envoy to "convey concern" over the development.
On December 30, Lakhvi was sent by a Pakistani court to two-day judicial remand in an abduction case, after India again strongly raised concerns over his imminent release.
India has relentlessly sought Lakhvi since the November 2008 attacks killed 166 persons, including several foreigners, in Mumbai, causing international uproar and a diplomatic storm.
Lakhvi was arrested in February 2009 for masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that left 166 people dead and over 300 injured.
He was indicted with six others on November 25, 2009, on the basis of the confessional statement of the lone surviving attacker Ajmal Kasab, who was caught, tried and executed in India on November 21, 2012.
Comments
0 comment