New Delhi, July 14: The government of Pakistan’s Punjab has withdrawn its plea against the release of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, a development that raises doubts about Pakistan’s seriousness in tackling terror.
Saeed is the alleged mastermind of the November 26 terror strikes in Mumbai.
The government withdrew its plea citing its inability to provide solid reasons for detaining Saeed, as was asked by the Supreme Court.
Pakistan’s apex court had on Monday observed that the UN resolution only imposed restrictions on Saeed’s movements and so the government could not curtail the liberties of Saeed without evidence.
The Pakistan Supreme Court on July 6 had on technical grounds rejected two petitions by the federal and Punjab governments seeking Saeed’s release.
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Punjab government had filed the petition challenging Saeed’s release on July 3.
Saeed, chief of the banned Islamic charity group Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), was released on June 2 after the High Court ruled that authorities had not presented strong evidence against him.
The court had also set free Saeed’s aide, Col. (retired) Nazir Mohammad. Saeed’s release triggered an angry response from India, which accused Pakistan of not being serious about fighting terror.
–Agencies