Same old Pakistani script

Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: April 13, 2015
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/edit/same-old-pakistani-script.html

Neither 26/11 mastermind Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi's release by a Pakistani court nor Islamabad's reaction blaming India against the terrorist should surprise anyone. The developments are part of an old script that has been played out over and over again from across the border in different cases. But the brazenness of the Pakistani authorities in so easily allowing Lakhvi to walk out of prison, definitely shocks not only India but all those countries who value justice and are committed to combating the scourge of terrorism within and outside their borders. The US, France and Israel have been among the first countries to denounce Lakhvi's release, and there will be many others who feel the same. On its part, the Pakistani Government can be expected to argue that Lakhvi's release was not in its hand and that it is obliged to abide by the orders of the court.

It can also be expected to point out that when the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court had granted bail to Lakhvi in December 2014, the Government had ensured that he remained behind bars for another three months issuing a Maintenance of Public Order. Neither of these assertions is incorrect. Lakhvi had been in prison for more than six years under preventive detention laws and it was only a matter of time before the courts found his situation legally untenable. The key question here, therefore, is not about why Lakhvi was released or how he can be put behind bars again. It is this: Why was Lakhvi still an under-trial? Almost a decade after 26/11, why had he not been convicted, despite a mountain of overwhelming evidence against him? Pakistan has a staple response to this — the evidence against Lakhvi that India has provided is not strong enough. Even if this were the case (it is not), 26/11 was plotted on and implemented from Pakistani territory. Where is the strong evidence against Lakhvi from the Pakistani side? This alone exposes Islamabad's pathetic excuses.

Lakhvi's detention was always about optics and managing public perceptions. After 26/11, Pakistan had to be seen as doing something against the perpetrators, if only to appease the Americans, protect itself from Indian wrath and maintain some sort of a dignified position on international platforms, where it is increasingly isolated. The strategy may have worked to a limited extent. For example, America, still convinced that Pakistan is a worthy ally in its counter-terror operations, has recently offered Rawalpindi a billion dollars in military aid to buy missiles and attack helicopters. In India, few expected that Pakistan would launch a serious and thorough trial against this UN-designated terrorist who is, at the end of the day, very much a product of the deep state in that country. Lakhvi is part of the top leadership of the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, the Pakistani spy agency’s prized proxy tool against India, and all through his years in jail, had a comfortable life and, if needed, could have even planned terror attacks from prison.