.Pakistan's Saeed farce continues
NEW DELHI: Hafiz Saeed, who has shown to be the mastermind behind the 26/11 terror assault on Mumbai, has been allowed to go scot-free yet again. In a development which lays bare Pakistan’s game of deceit in acting against perpetrators of the attack, the Lahore high court on Monday dismissed two cases registered against him on the ground that the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the organisation headed by him, was not `proscribed’ in Pakistan. JuD is the new avatar of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Describing the case against Saeed as arising out of a `mala fide intention’ by the Punjab provincial government, the court quashed the cases, which were registered at police stations in Faisalabad for allegedly inciting people to wage `jihad’ (holy war) against `infidels.’
The first FIR was based on his preaching session at Royalton Hotel in Faisalabad’s Canal Road on August 27 this year, in which Saeed urged people to retaliate against those who’ve suppressed their rights. He explained away the problems of the American economy as God’s way of retaliation.
The second FIR was lodged over his speech at an Iftar dinner at Peoples Colony, Jaranwala Road Faisalabad on August 26. In this tirade, Saeed accused India of stage-managing the 26/11 attacks and conspiring against Pakistan — a clear attempt to invoke anti-India sentiments.
And in a move that was seen a direct riposte to the United Nations, the Lahore HC also insisted that Saeed’s outfit, the JuD, was not a `proscribed,’ notwithstanding the world body’s declaration to this effect.
The move by the Lahore high court is certain to destroy whatever hopes there were of an early resumption of Indo-Pak peace talks. India sees the decision to allow Saeed to move around freely in Pakistan as part of the game of ``deceit’’ and ``charade’’ being indulged in by Islamabad. Government official and security experts here suspect that the Pakistani side had deliberately employed a policy which make it impossible for courts there to prosecute him.
India has been insisting that Pakistan should take action against Saeed for his alleged role in masterminding the Mumbai attacks, but Islamabad has said the evidence provided by New Delhi against the JuD chief is not enough for arresting or prosecuting him.
``Saeed was the brain behind the Mumbai blasts. Pakistan government must conduct an investigation and bring all those responsible for Mumbai attacks to justice,’’ union external affairs minister S M Krishna told newspersons in Bangalore later in the day while reacting to the Lahore high court order.
Home minister P Chidambaram had earlier expressed his dismay over Pakistan’s ``unwillingness’’ to prosecute Saeed. ``(While) covering up is a very strong word, there is for some strange reason (an) unwillingness to take investigation forward (by Pakistan),’’ Mr Chidambaram had told newspersons in August this year in response to reports that the JuD founder had been placed under house arrest.
Saeed’s lawyer A K Dogar, however, reiterated that his client was innocent, and that no anti-terror case could be made out against him. ``The court today declared that the JuD is not a proscribed organisation. How can Saeed be accused for violating the law, which is applicable for a proscribed organisation? The judges said that they have taken the decision to dispose the cases keeping in mind the law of the nation,’’ Mr Dogar argued. ``We cannot brutalise the law in this country,’’ he added while quoting the court. Defending his client, Mr Dogar added that Saeed was one of the most learned scholars in the country and could not even think of entering into any sort of terrorist activities.``There is no basis to all the charges framed against Saeed. I have been arguing this case in the court for over two months now, but the Pakistan government has failed to provide any evidence.”
ET
Describing the case against Saeed as arising out of a `mala fide intention’ by the Punjab provincial government, the court quashed the cases, which were registered at police stations in Faisalabad for allegedly inciting people to wage `jihad’ (holy war) against `infidels.’
The first FIR was based on his preaching session at Royalton Hotel in Faisalabad’s Canal Road on August 27 this year, in which Saeed urged people to retaliate against those who’ve suppressed their rights. He explained away the problems of the American economy as God’s way of retaliation.
The second FIR was lodged over his speech at an Iftar dinner at Peoples Colony, Jaranwala Road Faisalabad on August 26. In this tirade, Saeed accused India of stage-managing the 26/11 attacks and conspiring against Pakistan — a clear attempt to invoke anti-India sentiments.
And in a move that was seen a direct riposte to the United Nations, the Lahore HC also insisted that Saeed’s outfit, the JuD, was not a `proscribed,’ notwithstanding the world body’s declaration to this effect.
The move by the Lahore high court is certain to destroy whatever hopes there were of an early resumption of Indo-Pak peace talks. India sees the decision to allow Saeed to move around freely in Pakistan as part of the game of ``deceit’’ and ``charade’’ being indulged in by Islamabad. Government official and security experts here suspect that the Pakistani side had deliberately employed a policy which make it impossible for courts there to prosecute him.
India has been insisting that Pakistan should take action against Saeed for his alleged role in masterminding the Mumbai attacks, but Islamabad has said the evidence provided by New Delhi against the JuD chief is not enough for arresting or prosecuting him.
``Saeed was the brain behind the Mumbai blasts. Pakistan government must conduct an investigation and bring all those responsible for Mumbai attacks to justice,’’ union external affairs minister S M Krishna told newspersons in Bangalore later in the day while reacting to the Lahore high court order.
Home minister P Chidambaram had earlier expressed his dismay over Pakistan’s ``unwillingness’’ to prosecute Saeed. ``(While) covering up is a very strong word, there is for some strange reason (an) unwillingness to take investigation forward (by Pakistan),’’ Mr Chidambaram had told newspersons in August this year in response to reports that the JuD founder had been placed under house arrest.
Saeed’s lawyer A K Dogar, however, reiterated that his client was innocent, and that no anti-terror case could be made out against him. ``The court today declared that the JuD is not a proscribed organisation. How can Saeed be accused for violating the law, which is applicable for a proscribed organisation? The judges said that they have taken the decision to dispose the cases keeping in mind the law of the nation,’’ Mr Dogar argued. ``We cannot brutalise the law in this country,’’ he added while quoting the court. Defending his client, Mr Dogar added that Saeed was one of the most learned scholars in the country and could not even think of entering into any sort of terrorist activities.``There is no basis to all the charges framed against Saeed. I have been arguing this case in the court for over two months now, but the Pakistan government has failed to provide any evidence.”
ET
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