Pakistan is acting under US pressure against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, says BJP MP R K Singh

Pakistan is now acting under pressure against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed after the US threatened it with sanctions and the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind should be arrested and prosecuted as his detention is “meaningless”, BJP MP R K Singh on Friday said.

“Pakistan is definitely acting under pressure. It was warned that if it does not act, then it will be blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force. Pakistan was against the Security Council Resolutions (SCR). SCR had named JuD as terrorist organisation and Hafiz Saeed as terrorist.

“US had kept a reward on his (Hafiz) head as well. The US threatened Pakistan with sanctions which is why Pakistan took these steps,” said former home secretary Singh.

India had on Thursday dismissed Pakistan’s demand for “concrete evidence” against Saeed in the 26/11 case, saying the required proof is already available in that country as the entire conspiracy was hatched there and all it needs to find is “requisite” political will to take action.

“The detention is meaningless. It is not an arrest. He should be arrested and prosecuted. He is the main accused of the Mumbai terror attack and it was he who organised and planned and executed it. India is using all its diplomatic options. India is telling various countries what actions should be taken,” he said.

Saeed and four other Jamaat-ud Dawa leaders - Abdullah Ubaid, Zafar Iqbal, Abdur Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Niaz - were put under house arrest after an order was issued by Punjab Province’s Interior Ministry on Monday in pursuance to a directive from the Federal Interior Ministry on January 27.