Pakistan extremist leader held for two more weeks in murder case

LAHORE, Pakistan, Dec 25 (AFP): The leader of a banned Pakistani sectarian militant group who was set to walk free from jail is being held for two more weeks in a murder case, officials said Thursday.

Malik Ishaq, the head of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) which is dedicated to killing minority Shiite Muslims, was to be released on Thursday after the Punjab provincial government withdrew a request to extend his detention under public order laws.

But he has now been detained in a murder case, a police official said, and is being held in the central city of Multan.