Pakistan rearrest Hafiz Saeed on US pressure, claims Times of India
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NEW DELHI: Under pressure from the US, Pakistan on Thursday rearrested alleged Hafiz Saeed exactly a week after Lahore High Court ordered his release, reported Times of India.
However, there have been no confirmation from Pakistani officials as of yet.
A day after his release, the Donald Trump administration expressed “deep concern” over the development and called for Saeed to be arrested and charged for his crimes. Not just the administration, a slew of influential think tanks and policy experts also piled on the pressure. They said it was about time the US removed the status of “major non-NATO ally” that Pakistan enjoys.
“The United States is deeply concerned that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Hafiz Saeed has been released from house arrest in Pakistan. LeT is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks, including a number of American citizens. The Pakistani government should make sure that he is arrested and charged for his crimes,” the US State Department said in a formal statement.
The statement recalled that in May 2008, the United States Department of the Treasury designated Saeed a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224.
Pakistan has maintained they are ready to arrest Hafiz Saeed if India provides solid evidence of his involvement in Mumbai attacks.
