Farmane-Ilahi

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Responding to US State Department's statement on conviction of Lakhvi on the conviction of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the Foreign Office (FO) said that the justice system in Pakistan is free from external factors or influences.

The strongly-worded statement the US State Department's statement on the conviction of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the FO encouraged the US to reserve its concerns for the active aiding and abetting of terrorist activities by India.

It is pertinent to mention here that an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore sentenced Lakhvi to five years imprisonment and a fine of Rs300,000 in a terrorism financing case.In the written order, the court found the LeT leader guilty under three sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, for running a dispensary in Kot Lakhpat to raise funds for financing terrorism.

Reacting to the verdict, the US State Department had said it was encouraged by the conviction but noted that Lakhvi's "crimes go far beyond financing terrorism".

"Pakistan should further hold him accountable for his involvement in terrorist attacks, including the Mumbai attacks," it added.

We are encouraged by the recent conviction of Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi. However, his crimes go far beyond financing terrorism. Pakistan should further hold him accountable for his involvement in terrorist attacks, including the Mumbai attacks.

— State_SCA (@State_SCA) January 9, 2021

Responding to the US State Department's statement, FO emphasised that Pakistan "is fully abiding by its own statutes and fulfilment of its international obligations".

"The investigations, prosecutions and subsequent convictions, through due process, are a reflection of the effectiveness of Pakistan’s legal system which operates independently of any extraneous factors or influences."

FO stressed that the legal process in the "Mumbai case" remains stalled due to India's reluctance to send over witnesses for cross-examination in the Pakistani court.

"The State Department is encouraged to reserve its concern for the active aiding, abetting, planning, promoting, financing & execution of terrorist activities by India for which sufficient irrefutable evidence has already been provided," it asserted.

Pakistan is fully abiding by its own statutes and fulfillment of its international obligations.

The investigations, prosecutions & subsequent convictions, through due process, are a reflection of effectiveness of Pakistan’s legal system, 1/3

— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) January 10, 2021