Pakistan summons Indian envoy JP Singh, raises Samjhauta blast issue

ISLAMABAD: In a tit-for-tat action, Pakistan today summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad, hours after India called in the Pakistani envoy in New Delhi to lodge a strong protest over a court order to release LeT terrorist and Mumbai attack mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.

Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh was called to the Foreign Office where Pakistani side raised the 2007 Samjhauta train blast case, in which 68 people including several Pakistani nationals were killed, contending that there was undue delay in the trial.

The retaliatory act came shortly after Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi Abdul Basit was summoned by officiating Foreign Secretary Anil Wadhwa who lodged a strong protest against the court order to release Lakhvi, saying freeing him will pose a threat which "cannot be ignored".

The Islamabad High Court today suspended the detention order of Lashkar-e-Toiba operations commander Lakhvi and ordered his immediate release.

The Pakistani side is understood to have told Singh that the Government cannot interfere in the judicial process in the Lakhvi's case.