ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and United States are heading towards yet another lowafter the recent allegations of the US over the issue of the JuD ChiefHafiz Saeed.
United States speaking the language of its strategic ally India has beenpressurising Pakistan to act against the JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed over hisalleged involvement in the Mumbai attacks inside India.
Pakistan has told the United States that it cannot act against JamaatudDawa chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed without evidence amid calls from Washingtonto arrest and try India’s most wanted cleric, The Nation has learnt.
Senior officials at the foreign ministry, who remain in contact with theUS, said Islamabad had conveyed to Washington that it was taking actionagainst all the terrorists and terror sponsors without discrimination.
An official said: “Hafiz Saeed is a free man because there is no evidenceagainst him. If India or the US have any evidence they must share it withPakistan.”
Another official said: “We have told them clearly that the law does notallow keeping him behind bars for no reason and no charge. Pakistan cannotact without evidence.”
Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had said that Saeed was freedbecause there were no charges against him. The prime minister said Indiaor the US could charge him internationally, if there was substance to theaccusations against him.
This week, the United States said the JuD chief should be prosecuted to thefullest extent of the law as Washington regarded him as a terrorist.Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the US Department of State said that theUS had made its points and concerns clear to the Pakistani government inthat regard.
Nauert rejected PM Abbasi’s stance on the matter, saying: ‘We regard him asa terrorist, a part of a foreign terrorist organisation. He was themastermind, we believe, of the 2008 Mumbai attacks which killed manypeople, including Americans as well. We have made our points and ourconcerns to the Pakistani government very clear. We believe that thisindividual should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.’
The State Department spokesperson stressed that Saeed’s name is on theUnited Nation’s list of designated terrorists, adding: ‘He is listed by theUN Security Council 1267, the Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee for targetedsanctions due to his affiliation with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which is adesignated foreign terror organisation.’
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs also echoed US sentiments, saying:“If somebody is designated global terrorist, it’s done based on lot ofevidence available in public domain. You can close your eyes, pretendnothing happened but they (Pakistan) have to realise what’s in front ofthem and take action against such people,’ said Raveesh Kumar, theministry’s spokesman.
This month, Pakistani government banned companies and individuals frommaking donations to the JuD, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation, and otherorganisations on the UNSC sanctions list. The Securities and ExchangeCommission of Pakistan (SECP) said all companies had been prohibited from“donating cash to the entities and individuals listed under the UnitedNations Security Council sanctions committee’s consolidated list.” The UNSCsanctions list includes the names of Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ,Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the JuD, the FIF, Lashkar-e-Taiba and otherorganisations and individuals. The development came as the governmentdecided to take action against organisations and individuals linked toterrorism at a recent high-level meeting on national security.
Hafiz Saeed , one the most wanted men in India, has been blamed formasterminding attacks in held Kashmir and India including the 2008 Mumbaiattacks. The JuD chief denies the allegations. The White House has alreadywarned that there would be repercussions unless Islamabad takes action todetain and charge Saeed.
Saeed was released last year after the Lahore High Court rejected thegovernment’s request seeking a further extension in his house arrest. Thereview board of the court said that there was not sufficient evidence tokeep the JuD chief under house arrest. The JuD chief and four of his aideswere detained in January 2017 after the government told a court theypresented a threat to peace and security. The move was largely attributedto the US pressure.
In May 2008, the United States Department of the Treasury designated Saeedas a specially designated global terrorist. Saeed was also individuallydesignated by the United Nations in December 2008 following the November2008 Mumbai attacks in which six American citizens were killed.
This week, Pakistan and the US returned to the talks’ table after tensionrose to an unprecedented level, threatening to break the alliancealtogether.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ambassador Alice Wells flewto Islamabad to hold talks with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua in adamage-control bid.
In the first formal talks after US President Donald Trump’s hostile tweetlast month, Wells termed Pakistan’s support critical to the success of theUS strategy for Afghanistan.