Pakistan's Hafiz Saeed arrest drama on since 2001, cosmetic job: Govt

A day after 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed was arrested in Lahore, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Pakistan's drama of arresting the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief has been on since 2001.

Addressing a press conference, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that Hafiz Saeed has previously been arrested by Pakistan for more than eight times but released on some ground or the other.

The MEA also asked if Hafiz Saeed's arrest on Wednesday would be more than a "cosmetic exercise" this time. The MEA also hoped that Hafiz Saeed would be brought to justice this time.

"It has been happening for a long time - arrest-release, arrest-release. He [Hafiz Saeed] had been arrested after every major terror incident he perpetrates in India and then released on some grounds or other. This drama, to my count, has happened over 8 times since 2001," Raveesh Kumar said.

"Will this be more than a cosmetic exercise? The question is if Hafiz Saeed will be tried and sentenced for his terrorist activities. We hope that this time Hafiz Saeed will be brought to justice."

The MEA spokesperson said, "Pakistan was forced to act on Hafiz



Saeed. India has long maintained that UNSC 1267 pertaining to the listing of known terrorists must be maintained. Hafiz Saeed is a designated terrorist and is listed by the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee."

The ministry also said that Hafiz Saeed and terrorist organisations such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) recruit thousands of terrorists and they have continued to support and finance the terror activities in India despite the arrests.

United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that great pressure had been exerted over the last two years to find Hafiz Saeed, a United Nations-designated terrorist.

Taking to Twitter, the US president said, "After a ten-year search, the so-called "mastermind" of the Mumbai terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan. Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him!"

On being asked about Donald Trump's response to Hafiz Saeed's tweet, Raveesh Kumar said that both the countries have been working together on counter-terrorism.

"We [India] are in constant touch with the US side. India and the United States have been working together on counter-terrorism," he said.