Release of Lakhvi most distressing

It is shocking that Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the plotter of 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, has been set free by a Pakistani court without fully taking into account the dossiers containing clinching evidence given by India. It is not only an insult to India but grave injustice to those innocents killed on the fateful day. When the lone accused Ajmal Kasab, caught by the Indian law-enforcement agencies, confessed that he was recruited by Lakhvi to carry out the dangerous operations and also deposed during the examination about Lakhvi's presence in Karachi control room giving instructions and controlling the whole operations, the court letting the terrorist free is extremely disappointing. This only goes to prove that Pakistan has gone back on its promises and assurances to India and America by allowing the guilty to go scot-free despite availability of enough evidence including the confessions of the Pakistani-American George Headley who stated that Lakhvi was the mastermind behind the whole operations.

In the wake of this mockery of justice, it is time the global community took note of the actions of Pakistan by applying pressure on the Pakistan establishment to take severe action against him, based on evidence handed out by India. Further as India has already lodged a strong protest against Pakistan's inept handling of the case right from the beginning, Pakistan also must be told in categorical terms that for continuance of trade, cultural and sports ties, it must prove its sincerity by initiating strong action against Lakhvi without any delay or adopting dilly-dallying tactics.