Insisting there was enough material to question Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafeez Saeed,mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, India today said Pakistan was not taking action against him and hinted the issue may not be taken up with President Asif Ali Zardari here on Sunday.
Home Minister P Chidambaram welcomed the announcement of USD 10 million bounty for capture of Saeed and said it might prod the government of Pakistan to take action against him.
Addressing a press conference here, Chidambaram said when he had visited Pakistan he had handed over a complete dossier on Saeed, including compact discs containing the JuD chief’s anti-India speeches and sought his voice samples.
“We have consistently pressed for his arrest and interrogation. Pakistan was in denial mode and I think
continues to be in denial mode,” he said.
Chidambaram said the fact that the US has finally recognised that Saeed and his organisation LeT were
involved in terrorist activities may prod Pakistan to take action against him.
To a question whehter the issue would be raised during Zardari’s day-long visit to India on Sunday, the Home Minister said it may not be the best occasion to raise this issue as the Pakistan President would be here for religious purposes.
“I dont know what the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) will say to Zardari,” he said adding India would continue to
raise the issue on other occassions.
Chidambaram pointed out that there was enough evidence to detain and interrogate Saeed but “Pakistan government was not doing its duty.”
———————PTI