NEW DELHI: The war of words between India and Pakistan over the detention of Hafiz Saeed continued on Thursday as New Delhi contended that Islamabad just need “political will” to bring the mastermind of Mumbai terror attack to book. Pakistan watchers are terming the detention of Hafiz Saeed as “hogwash” as the charges against him would not be serious.
“Hafiz Saeed has himself confessed to masterminding multiple acts of terror directed at India. So the so called concrete evidence that Pakistani establishment is looking for is already available in Pakistan. All they need is to find the requisite political will,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Thursday.
Saeed has been put under detention by the Pakistan authorities, a move to placate the Trump administration and China. Islamabad has even contended that it would be filing an FIR against the Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Saeed. JuD claims to be a charity group but the US has categorised it as a front for the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and has enlisted as a terror outfit. “We would be seeing what charges Pakistan would be pressing against Saeed. A charge of violating Section 144 for unlawful assembly is a bailable offence and would mean a replay of Pakistan’s tactic in the past to deflect international attention,” MEA officials said on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan has been putting the ball in India’s court asking it to give evidence in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. “Let us be very clear. The entire conspiracy in the Mumbai terror attack case was hatched in Pakistan. All the terrorists came from Pakistan…. So all the evidence to implicate the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack is already available in Pakistan,” Swarup added.