Pakistani Sunni extremist leader freed from jail
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 11 September 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Pakistani Sunni extremist leader freed from jail, 11 September 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5060408121.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 11, 2012
Lashkar-e Jhangvi leader Malik Ishaq waves to supporters in Lahore on July 14. AFP
Pakistan has released the head of a banned Sunni extremist group after a court granted him bail.
Lawyer Arif Mehmood Rana said that Malik Ishaq, the leader of the Lashkar-e Jhangvi organization, was freed from a prison in the eastern city of Lahore.
Ishaq was detained over a August 19 speech in the wake of a rise in sectarian violence between majority Sunni and minority Shi'ite Muslims.
Ishaq has been implicated in dozens of murder cases.
He is also accused of masterminding a 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, which wounded some players and killed eight Pakistanis.
Lashkar-e Jhangvi, which is said to have Al-Qaeda links, is regarded as the most extreme Sunni militant group in Pakistan.
It is accused of killing hundreds of Shi'a.
Based on reporting by AFP and BBC
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
