US asks Pakistan to 'further hold Lakhvi accountable' for his crimes

(Karachi) The United States has said that it is "encouraged" by the conviction of Lashkar-e-Taiba operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi in a terror financing case in Pakistan, but Islamabad should further hold him accountable for his involvement in terror attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai carnage.

In a tweet, State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs stated: "We are encouraged by the recent conviction of Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi. However, his crimes go far beyond financing terrorism."

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

On January 8, an anti-terrorism court sentenced Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, leader of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group, to 15 years in prison.

Lakhvi was fined Rs300,000 by the court in Lahore. Lakhvi was accused of running a dispensary in Lahore as a front for financing militant activities. He has been pronounced imprisonment five years each in the case under three different sector.

Earlier on January 2, CTD had arrested an alleged member of a banned outfit Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi during a raid conducted in Lahore.

The arrest was made in relation to terrorism financing, spokesman for CTD clarified, and not for a "specific militant attack".

The suspected terror financer was also nominated by the United Nations in its list of suspected terrorists for being associated with an outlawed outfit, said CTD adding that the suspect will face trial in an anti-terrorism court in Lahore.