Lashkar’s operational commander Lakhvi sentenced to 5 years in jail

New Delhi, Jan 08: A Pakistan court has sentenced Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the operational commander of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba to 5 years in jail and also ordered him to pay a fine.

He was found guilty of extending financial help to terrorists through various umbrella businesses. He was convicted for running a dispensary as a cover for terror funding.

The United States had on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of Lakhvi on charges of terror financing, but also called for his prosecution in the Mumbai 26/11 case.

We welcome Pakistan's arrest of terrorist leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi as an important step in holding him responsible for his role in supporting terrorism and its financing," the US state department's bureau of South and Central Asian affairs said on Twitter. It also said, "we will follow his prosecution & sentencing closely & urge that he be held accountable for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks."

Lakhvi is one of the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks. He was arrested by the Pakistan authorities on January 2 on charges of terror financing. His arrest came five years after he was granted bail.

Lakhvi remained low key following his bail. However Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that he continued nurturing the outfit and its cadres.