Pakistani authorities opened a probe on Thursday into reports that a charity run by a militant group has established an Islamic court. The group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) [CFR profile] has reportedly established a court separate from the judiciary in Lahore. Legal experts in the area claim that such a system is illegal and unconstitutional. This type of Tabilban style court is rare [NYT report] in Pakistan’s heartland, but has become common in northwestern tribal regions. A spokesperson for Jamaat-ud-Dawa [BBC profile], the charity in question, stated that the court is not a parallel judicial system, but rather an arbitration service. LeT is suspected of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks [CNN profile].

Mumbai has suffered a number of terrorist attacks allegedly linked to the LeT in recent years, leading the government to consider controversial terrorism laws and to institute special courts [JURIST reports] to try suspects. Cross-examination [JURIST report] of the Pakistani-based businessman responsible for selling the boat engine used by the LeT in the attacks began in November 2013. The year prior, India executed the sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Mohammad Ajmal Kasab [WSJ backgrounder; JURIST news archive]. In August 2009 India sentenced three terrorists to death for their part in similar attacks in 2003 [JURIST report]. In July of that year India announced that it would continue the trial [JURIST report] of a man suspected in a 2008 hotel attack that killed more than 100 people, despite his mid-trial confession [JURIST report]. Pakistan has postponed the trial of five others [JURIST report] allegedly connected with the 2008 attack.