US hails Lakhvi’s arrest

WASHINGTON: The US Department of State on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, a leader of the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, by Pakistani authorities.

Calling Lakhvi's arrest an important step, the State department said, "We welcome Pakistan's arrest of terrorist leader Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi as an important step in holding him responsible for his role in supporting terrorism and its financing."

In a short message sent out through social media, the department stated that the US will follow Lakhvi's prosecution and sentencing closely, while urging that Lakhvi "be held accountable for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks."

Lakhvi was arrested last Saturday. He was first arrested in 2008 but was released on bail. A year later United Nations Security Council listed Lakhvi for his association with Lashkar-e-Taiba and al Qaeda for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts of activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of" both entities.