Pakistan to appeal against bail granted to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi: Prosecutor

Islamabad: A Pakistani government prosecutor said on Friday that he will challenge a court order granting bail to the alleged mastermind of the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.

A judge in an Islamabad anti-terror court granted bail on Thursday to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

The court order drew swift condemnation from New Delhi, which urged the Pakistani government to appeal.

Read: India says Pakistan was given enough evidence against Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi

"I am completing all the legal formalities and then I will challenge this order in Islamabad on Monday," government prosecutor Mohammad Azhar Chaudhry said.

Lakhvi is among the seven Pakistani nationals accused of planning and abetting the brazen terror attack in Mumbai on November 26, 2008 that left 166 dead, including foreigners.

Read: Faces of terror: The men behind horrific attacks

The 60-hour assault on Mumbai was blamed on the banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Relations between the India and Pakistan have worsened dramatically after the carnage, in which 10 gunmen attacked luxury hotels, a popular cafe, a train station and a Jewish centre.

Read: Tackle Hafiz Saeed first, then vow to fight terror: Shiv Sena tells Pakistan

In a sharp reaction to the bail granted to 54-year-old UN-designated terrorist by a Rawalpindi court, New Delhi had yesterday told Islamabad that there could be no selective approach to terrorism, emphasising that it should realise that no compromise can ever be made with terrorists.