<p>In an indirect but obvious reference at Pakistan and China, India has criticised the two countries for supporting &quot;world-recognised terrorists&quot;.</p>

<p>India&#39;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Syed Akbaruddin said the UN Sanctions Committees were failing to make progress due to narrow political and strategic concerns of few states, while others were supporting terrorists.</p>

<p>&quot;Where Sanctions Committees have designated terrorists, there are states who venture to mainstream UN-designated terrorist individuals into their political process, in total disregard of international law, thus putting our common security in peril,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The Indian envoy was referring to United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who was recently released from house arrest after a Pakistani court cited lack of evidence and was being allowed to run for office in Pakistan in 2018.</p>

<p>The Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, who is wanted by India for his role in masterminding the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai that claimed 166 lives, recently announced he would contest the general elections in Pakistan in 2018 under the banner of the Milli Muslim League.</p>

<p>In a reference to China, considered an ally of Pakistan, India&#39;s Permanent Representative to the UNSC criticised the country for failing to make &quot;concrete progress&quot; on the issue of the &quot;designation of of terrorist individuals and entities.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;It is noticed that on an issue as serious as designation of terrorist individuals and entities, the Council-mandated Sanctions Committees fail to make concrete progress and fall victim to narrow political and strategic concerns in some cases,&quot; Akbaruddin said.</p>

<p>China has repeatedly blocked the move by India and other countries like the US, France and Germany to declare Masood Azhar, the chief of the terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), a global terrorist.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>(<em>With inputs from ANI</em>)</p>


The Indian envoy was referring to United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who was recently released from house arrest by Pakistan and JuD founder Masood Azhar, attempts to designate whom as a global terrorist have repeatedly been stonewalled by China

In an indirect but obvious reference at Pakistan and China, India has criticised the two countries for supporting "world-recognised terrorists". India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Syed Akbaruddin said the UN Sanctions Committees were failing to make progress due to narrow political and strategic concerns of few states, while others were supporting terrorists. "Where Sanctions Committees have designated terrorists, there are states who venture to mainstream UN-designated terrorist individuals into their political process, in total disregard of international law, thus putting our common security in peril," he said. The Indian envoy was referring to United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who was recently released from house arrest after a Pakistani court cited lack of evidence and was being allowed to run for office in Pakistan in 2018. The Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist, who is wanted by India for his role in masterminding the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai that claimed 166 lives, recently announced he would contest the general elections in Pakistan in 2018 under the banner of the Milli Muslim League. In a reference to China, considered an ally of Pakistan, India's Permanent Representative to the UNSC criticised the country for failing to make "concrete progress" on the issue of the "designation of of terrorist individuals and entities." "It is noticed that on an issue as serious as designation of terrorist individuals and entities, the Council-mandated Sanctions Committees fail to make concrete progress and fall victim to narrow political and strategic concerns in some cases," Akbaruddin said. China has repeatedly blocked the move by India and other countries like the US, France and Germany to declare Masood Azhar, the chief of the terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), a global terrorist. (With inputs from ANI)

Indian envoy to UN slams Pakistan, China over Hafiz Saeed

<p>United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed has found a new supporter in Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has hailed the Mumbai attack mastermind as &#39;active&#39; to resolve the Kashmir issue, as every other citizen of Pakistan.</p>

<p>This statement is being viewed as Bajwa comparing every Pakistani citizen with the chief of banned terror outfit - Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).</p>

<p>Bajwa, speaking at an &#39;in-camera session&#39; of the Senate Committee of the Whole in Islamabad, deliberated on a wide range of topics from politics to counter-terrorism operations and foreign policy.</p>

<p>When asked about Hafiz Saeed&#39;s role in fighting for the country, especially the Kashmir issue, Bajwa said, &quot;Like every other Pakistani, Saeed can also take up the Kashmir cause.&quot;</p>

<p>Bajwa&#39;s statement has come close on the heels of former Pakistan president General Parvez Musharraf declaring support for the terror outfits - Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD.</p>

<p>At the event, Bajwa further said if the Army&#39;s role was proved in the recent Faizabad sit-in, he would resign from his post.</p>

<p>About 2,000 activists of Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and its allied groups staged protests and sit-ins on highway and railway lines in several cities of</p>

<p>Pakistan for nearly three weeks in November. The protests paralysed the life in Islamabad by occupying the Faizabad interchange, linking the Pakistani capital with Rawalpindi.</p>

<p>Bajwa was responding to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah Khan&#39;s question. (ANI)</p>


'Like every other Pakistani, Saeed can also take up the Kashmir cause,' General Qamar Bajwa said

United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed has found a new supporter in Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has hailed the Mumbai attack mastermind as 'active' to resolve the Kashmir issue, as every other citizen of Pakistan. This statement is being viewed as Bajwa comparing every Pakistani citizen with the chief of banned terror outfit - Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). Bajwa, speaking at an 'in-camera session' of the Senate Committee of the Whole in Islamabad, deliberated on a wide range of topics from politics to counter-terrorism operations and foreign policy. When asked about Hafiz Saeed's role in fighting for the country, especially the Kashmir issue, Bajwa said, "Like every other Pakistani, Saeed can also take up the Kashmir cause." Bajwa's statement has come close on the heels of former Pakistan president General Parvez Musharraf declaring support for the terror outfits - Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD. At the event, Bajwa further said if the Army's role was proved in the recent Faizabad sit-in, he would resign from his post. About 2,000 activists of Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and its allied groups staged protests and sit-ins on highway and railway lines in several cities of Pakistan for nearly three weeks in November. The protests paralysed the life in Islamabad by occupying the Faizabad interchange, linking the Pakistani capital with Rawalpindi. Bajwa was responding to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah Khan's question. (ANI)

Hafiz Saeed finds new supporter in Pakistan Army chief

<p>The US has said it is concerned about JuD chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan despite the &quot;guy&quot; carrying a $10 million bounty on his head for terror activities.</p>

<p>Saeed, also the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, had earlier confirmed that the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) will contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan under the banner of the Milli Muslim League, which is yet to be registered with the Election Commission.</p>

<p>&quot;Saeed, who was released by Pakistan from house arrest last November resulting in angry reaction from the US, was the mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks and is a leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba,&quot; State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s a group that the US government considers to be a terror organisation. We have many conversations with the government of Pakistan. One of the things that happened recently was that this guy was held on house arrest. Pakistan released him from house arrest, and now there&#39;s word that he may be running for some sort of office,&quot; she said reporters here.</p>

<p>Saeed, who has a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, was freed by Pakistan on November 24.</p>

<p>The UN has also designated him as a global terrorist.</p>

<p>&quot;I want to remind folks, we have a USD 10 million Reward for Justice programme that would reward for information that would bring him to justice. So I want to make that clear, so that everybody knows -- USD 10 million, out for this guy. And we would certainly have concerns about him running for office,&quot; Nauert said.</p>

<p>The US had also strongly condemned the release of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader from house arrest and had called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution.</p>

<p>However, top Pakistani diplomats based in the US have said that there is no evidence against Saeed.</p>

<p>&quot;I can tell you his organisation that was responsible for those attacks is considered a foreign terror organisation. It&#39;s considered a foreign terror organisation by the US government for a reason, and for a good reason,&quot; Nauert said.</p>

<p>&quot;I would imagine that, if we had any intelligence, and that&#39;s not an area that I can discuss anyway, but we would certainly share it with the Pakistanis on that front. I hope they&#39;ll do the right thing,&quot; Nauert said.</p>

<p>She expressed hope that the Pakistan government would do the right thing and remind the people across the country that he was carrying a US bounty on his head.</p>

<p>The banned JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.&nbsp;</p>


The UN has also designated him as a global terrorist.

The US has said it is concerned about JuD chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan despite the "guy" carrying a $10 million bounty on his head for terror activities. Saeed, also the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, had earlier confirmed that the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) will contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan under the banner of the Milli Muslim League, which is yet to be registered with the Election Commission. "Saeed, who was released by Pakistan from house arrest last November resulting in angry reaction from the US, was the mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks and is a leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. "It's a group that the US government considers to be a terror organisation. We have many conversations with the government of Pakistan. One of the things that happened recently was that this guy was held on house arrest. Pakistan released him from house arrest, and now there's word that he may be running for some sort of office," she said reporters here. Saeed, who has a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, was freed by Pakistan on November 24. The UN has also designated him as a global terrorist. "I want to remind folks, we have a USD 10 million Reward for Justice programme that would reward for information that would bring him to justice. So I want to make that clear, so that everybody knows -- USD 10 million, out for this guy. And we would certainly have concerns about him running for office," Nauert said. The US had also strongly condemned the release of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader from house arrest and had called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution. However, top Pakistani diplomats based in the US have said that there is no evidence against Saeed. "I can tell you his organisation that was responsible for those attacks is considered a foreign terror organisation. It's considered a foreign terror organisation by the US government for a reason, and for a good reason," Nauert said. "I would imagine that, if we had any intelligence, and that's not an area that I can discuss anyway, but we would certainly share it with the Pakistanis on that front. I hope they'll do the right thing," Nauert said. She expressed hope that the Pakistan government would do the right thing and remind the people across the country that he was carrying a US bounty on his head. The banned JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.

Concerned about Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan, says US

<p>Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Office said today the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-make-massive-payments-to-pakistan-they-have-to-help-fight-terror-groups-trump-27234">US National Security Strategy has made</a> &quot;unsubstantiated&quot; allegations and &quot;trivialised&quot; Pakistan&#39;s efforts on fighting terrorism.</p>

<p>&quot;It is because of Pakistan&#39;s cooperation <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-talks-about-america-first-national-strategy-welcomes-indias-emergence-as-leading-global-power-27128">with the international community, </a>acknowledged and appreciated by the US leadership, that the al-Qaeda&#39;s core was decimated from the region,&quot; Pakistan&#39;s foreign office said in a statement.</p>

<p>The foreign office said that Pakistan continues to suffer at the hands of &quot;state-sponsored terrorism, funded and abetted by our neighbours through proxies.&quot;</p>

<p>Pointing at India, the foreign office said: &quot;South Asia&#39;s strategic stability is being undermined by India&#39;s unchecked brutalization of the people of &quot;Indian Occupied Kashmir&quot; and incessant ceasefire violations targeting innocent civilians.&quot;</p>

<p>Referring further to India, it said, &quot;Ironically, a country with a record of defiance of UNSC resolutions, introduction of nuclear weapons in South Asia and use of terrorism as a state policy is being projected as a regional leader.&quot;</p>

<p>On Afghanistan, which the US has repeatedly referred to during its terror strategy, Pakistan said despite substantial US presence, it was being &quot;constantly used by elements hostile to Pakistan&#39;s stability.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Pakistan&#39;s efforts and sincere proposals for effective border management to prevent cross-border movement of militants and return of Afghan refugees are yet to make any headway,&quot; it said, adding that a &quot;malicious campaign&quot; is underway to undo Pakistan&#39;s achievements in the war against terrorism.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Pakistan&#39;s security forces have undertaken indiscriminate and effective counter-terrorism operations against terrorism and extremism,&quot; the statement said.</p>

<p>&quot;Pakistan is a more stable, peaceful and secure country,&quot; the Pakistan foreign office stated.</p>


"Pakistan is a more stable, peaceful and secure country," the Pakistan foreign office stated.

Pakistan's Foreign Office said today the US National Security Strategy has made "unsubstantiated" allegations and "trivialised" Pakistan's efforts on fighting terrorism. "It is because of Pakistan's cooperation with the international community, acknowledged and appreciated by the US leadership, that the al-Qaeda's core was decimated from the region," Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement. The foreign office said that Pakistan continues to suffer at the hands of "state-sponsored terrorism, funded and abetted by our neighbours through proxies." Pointing at India, the foreign office said: "South Asia's strategic stability is being undermined by India's unchecked brutalization of the people of "Indian Occupied Kashmir" and incessant ceasefire violations targeting innocent civilians." Referring further to India, it said, "Ironically, a country with a record of defiance of UNSC resolutions, introduction of nuclear weapons in South Asia and use of terrorism as a state policy is being projected as a regional leader." On Afghanistan, which the US has repeatedly referred to during its terror strategy, Pakistan said despite substantial US presence, it was being "constantly used by elements hostile to Pakistan's stability." "Pakistan's efforts and sincere proposals for effective border management to prevent cross-border movement of militants and return of Afghan refugees are yet to make any headway," it said, adding that a "malicious campaign" is underway to undo Pakistan's achievements in the war against terrorism. "Pakistan's security forces have undertaken indiscriminate and effective counter-terrorism operations against terrorism and extremism," the statement said. "Pakistan is a more stable, peaceful and secure country," the Pakistan foreign office stated.

US National Security Strategy made unsubstantiated allegations: Pakistan

<p>President Donald Trump<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-talks-about-america-first-national-strategy-welcomes-indias-emergence-as-leading-global-power-27128"> slammed Pakistan while unveiling his</a> national security strategy, even as US administration officials expressed concern over reports of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan next year.</p>

<p>State Department spokesperson <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/dont-agree-with-tillerson-have-undertaken-operations-against-terrorists-pakistan-26768">Heather Nauert said Saeed was the</a> &quot;mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks&quot; and leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT), adding, &quot;it is a group the US government considers to be a terror organisation.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;One of the things that happened recently was that Saeed&nbsp;was held under&nbsp;house arrest. Pakistan released him, and now there&#39;s word that he may be running for some sort of office,&quot; she added.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Donald Trump pressed Pakistan to show results on terrorism, saying: &ldquo;We have made clear to Pakistan that while we desire continued partnership, we must see decisive action against terrorist groups operating on their territory.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;And we make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help,&rdquo; the president added while addressing the nation from the Ronald Reagan building in Washington.</p>

<p>The US government has been unrelenting towards its pursuit to pressure Pakistan ever since President Trump came out with his Afghanistan policy declaring that Pakistan was using its soil as &quot;safe havens&quot; for terrorists, which was vehemently denied by Pakistan officials.</p>

<p>US administration officials are especially concerned over Jamaat chief Hafiz Saeed&#39;s fate after being released from house arrest last month.</p>

<p>&quot;We have a $10 million reward for information that would bring Saeed to justice. So I want to make that clear,&quot; the State Department spokesman said, adding, &quot;And we would certainly have concerns about him running for office.&quot;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The US government has been unrelenting towards its pursuit to pressure Pakistan ever since President Trump came out with his Afghanistan policy

President Donald Trump slammed Pakistan while unveiling his national security strategy, even as US administration officials expressed concern over reports of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan next year. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Saeed was the "mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks" and leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT), adding, "it is a group the US government considers to be a terror organisation." "One of the things that happened recently was that Saeed was held under house arrest. Pakistan released him, and now there's word that he may be running for some sort of office," she added. Meanwhile, Donald Trump pressed Pakistan to show results on terrorism, saying: “We have made clear to Pakistan that while we desire continued partnership, we must see decisive action against terrorist groups operating on their territory." "And we make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help,” the president added while addressing the nation from the Ronald Reagan building in Washington. The US government has been unrelenting towards its pursuit to pressure Pakistan ever since President Trump came out with his Afghanistan policy declaring that Pakistan was using its soil as "safe havens" for terrorists, which was vehemently denied by Pakistan officials. US administration officials are especially concerned over Jamaat chief Hafiz Saeed's fate after being released from house arrest last month. "We have a $10 million reward for information that would bring Saeed to justice. So I want to make that clear," the State Department spokesman said, adding, "And we would certainly have concerns about him running for office."

We make massive payments to Pakistan, they have to help fight terror groups: Trump

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/finally-pakistan-issues-visas-to-kulbhushan-jadhavs-mother-wife-27304">Finally, Pakistan issues visas to Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s mother, wife</a></p>

<p>Pakistan on Wednesday issued visas to jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s mother and wife. Jadhav&#39;s mother and wife will arrive in Pakistan via Wagah border on Saturday.&nbsp;The visas were issued by Pakistani High Commission in India. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan confirmed the news through a tweet.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tv-producer-suhaib-ilyasi-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-for-murdering-his-wife-27285">Suhaib Ilyasi, ex-host of &#39;India&#39;s Most Wanted&#39;, sentenced to life imprisonment for wife&#39;s murder</a></p>

<p>Suhaib Ilyasi, the former host of the popular crime show&nbsp;&quot;India&#39;s Most Wanted&quot;,&nbsp; was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court on Wednesday for the murder of his wife Anju 17 years ago.&nbsp;The court said Ilyasi &quot;committed her murder and gave it a colour of suicide&quot;.&nbsp;Right after the verdict, Ilyasi, 51, shouted that he was innocent and that the conviction was an &quot;injustice&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rbi-puts-bank-of-india-under-watch-as-bad-loans-surge-shares-tumble-27289">RBI puts Bank of India under watch as bad loans surge; shares tumble</a></p>

<p>The Bank of India&rsquo;s shares tumbled nearly 4 per cent to Rs 174.55 intraday on Wednesday after Reserve Bank of India put it under watch for bad loans. The move will put various restrictions on the lender, including on fresh loans and dividend distribution.&nbsp;The bank&rsquo;s non-performing assets were reported over 6 per cent for two consecutive years</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeed-finds-new-supporter-in-pakistan-army-chief-27296">Hafiz Saeed finds new supporter in Pakistan Army chief</a></p>

<p>United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed has found a new supporter in Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has hailed the Mumbai attack mastermind as &#39;active&#39; to resolve the Kashmir issue, as every other citizen of Pakistan. This statement is being viewed as Bajwa comparing every Pakistani citizen with the chief of banned terror outfit - Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jignesh-hardik-sing-in-chorus-say-limiting-bjp-within-two-digit-mark-is-not-less-than-victory-27297">&#39;BJP&#39;s arrogance of winning 150 seats... broken into bits and pieces,&#39; say Jignesh, Hardik</a></p>

<p>They might not have succeeded in evicting the BJP from Gujarat but Vadgam&#39;s newly-elected MLA Jignesh Mevani and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel feel their hard work paid off with the party limited to the two-digit mark.</p>


Finally, Pakistan issues visas to Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother, wife Pakistan on Wednesday issued visas to jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife. Jadhav's mother and wife will arrive in Pakistan via Wagah border on Saturday. The visas were issued by Pakistani High Commission in India. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan confirmed the news through a tweet. Suhaib Ilyasi, ex-host of 'India's Most Wanted', sentenced to life imprisonment for wife's murder Suhaib Ilyasi, the former host of the popular crime show "India's Most Wanted", was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court on Wednesday for the murder of his wife Anju 17 years ago. The court said Ilyasi "committed her murder and gave it a colour of suicide". Right after the verdict, Ilyasi, 51, shouted that he was innocent and that the conviction was an "injustice". RBI puts Bank of India under watch as bad loans surge; shares tumble The Bank of India’s shares tumbled nearly 4 per cent to Rs 174.55 intraday on Wednesday after Reserve Bank of India put it under watch for bad loans. The move will put various restrictions on the lender, including on fresh loans and dividend distribution. The bank’s non-performing assets were reported over 6 per cent for two consecutive years Hafiz Saeed finds new supporter in Pakistan Army chief United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed has found a new supporter in Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has hailed the Mumbai attack mastermind as 'active' to resolve the Kashmir issue, as every other citizen of Pakistan. This statement is being viewed as Bajwa comparing every Pakistani citizen with the chief of banned terror outfit - Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). 'BJP's arrogance of winning 150 seats... broken into bits and pieces,' say Jignesh, Hardik They might not have succeeded in evicting the BJP from Gujarat but Vadgam's newly-elected MLA Jignesh Mevani and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel feel their hard work paid off with the party limited to the two-digit mark.

WION Evening News Brief, December 20 2017

<p>&nbsp;Former Pakistan president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Saturday said he was ready to enter into an alliance with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) for Islamabad&#39;s &#39;safety and security&#39;.</p>

<p>This statement has come almost a month after he claimed he was the biggest supporter of the two parties.</p>

<p>&quot;They (LeT and JuD men) are patriotic people, they have laid their lives for Pakistan, who can object if they form a political party,&quot; ARY News quoted Musharraf, as saying.</p>

<p>So far the two parties have not approached him but if they desire to enter into an alliance with his party, he has no objection, he added.</p>

<p>He further said, &quot;I am a liberal and a moderate but that doesn&#39;t mean that I detest religious elements, I am the biggest supporter of Lashkar-e-Taiba and I know that they too like me, the people from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).&quot;</p>

<p>Musharraf, a month back, had said he liked the global terrorist, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and had met him.</p>

<p>The former president added he was always in favour of terrorist action in Kashmir, and the LeT and the JuD were the biggest forces to take on the Indian Army in the state.</p>

<p>The US had strongly condemned the release of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution.</p>

<p>Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, last month, Musharraf announced to lead a grand alliance of 23 political parties, including the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Sunni Itehad Council, Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, Muslim Conference (Kashmir), PML-Junejo, PML-Council, PML- National, Awami League, Millat Party, Jamiat Ulma Pakistan (Niazi Group), Aam Loug Party, Aam Admi Party, Pakistan Masawat Party, Pakistan Minority Party, and Social Justice Democratic Party.</p>


Musharraf, a month back, had said he liked the global terrorist, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and had met him

Former Pakistan president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Saturday said he was ready to enter into an alliance with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) for Islamabad's 'safety and security'. This statement has come almost a month after he claimed he was the biggest supporter of the two parties. "They (LeT and JuD men) are patriotic people, they have laid their lives for Pakistan, who can object if they form a political party," ARY News quoted Musharraf, as saying. So far the two parties have not approached him but if they desire to enter into an alliance with his party, he has no objection, he added. He further said, "I am a liberal and a moderate but that doesn't mean that I detest religious elements, I am the biggest supporter of Lashkar-e-Taiba and I know that they too like me, the people from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD)." Musharraf, a month back, had said he liked the global terrorist, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and had met him. The former president added he was always in favour of terrorist action in Kashmir, and the LeT and the JuD were the biggest forces to take on the Indian Army in the state. The US had strongly condemned the release of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution. Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months. Meanwhile, last month, Musharraf announced to lead a grand alliance of 23 political parties, including the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Sunni Itehad Council, Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, Muslim Conference (Kashmir), PML-Junejo, PML-Council, PML- National, Awami League, Millat Party, Jamiat Ulma Pakistan (Niazi Group), Aam Loug Party, Aam Admi Party, Pakistan Masawat Party, Pakistan Minority Party, and Social Justice Democratic Party.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa, LeT men are patriotic, says Musharraf

<p>In a recent video posted by Jama&#39;at-ud-Da&#39;wah on Twitter, its chief Hafiz Saeed has blamed India for the fall of Dhaka.</p>

<p>&quot;India is behind the Fall of Dhaka, as confessed by Narendra Modi in his speech in Dhaka University, Bangladesh,&quot; said Hafiz Saeed.</p>

<p>He also added that &quot;the avenge for Dhaka is due.&quot;</p>

<p>Saeed also said that &quot;to avenge East Pakistan, a way of revenging Kashmir is underway and is in the process, it will go very long way.&quot;</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeed-hopes-detention-will-boost-kashmiris-struggle-against-india-11917">Hafiz Saeed hopes detention will boost Kashmiris&#39; &#39;struggle against India&#39;</a></p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Mashriqi Pakistan (East Pakistan) ka badla lena hai toh, Kashmir se intequam ka rasta ban raha hai, nikal raha hai, chal raha hai aur Inshallah yeh tehreek jaari hai, isne bahut aage jana hai: Jammat-ud-Dawah&#39;s Chief Hafiz Saeed in Lahore, Pakistan <a href="https://t.co/BK6UxKbCTk">pic.twitter.com/BK6UxKbCTk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942018708435693568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hafiz Saeed spoke on the day of Vijay Diwas that marks the military victory over Pakistan who was defeated by the joint Indo-Bangladesh command.</p>

<p>Following the Pakistan military surrender on 16 December, it led to the disintegration of east and west Pakistan and Bangladesh liberated from Pakistani Occupation forces.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeed-hopes-detention-will-boost-kashmiris-struggle-against-india-11917">Hafiz Saeed&#39;s release an attempt by Pakistan to &#39;mainstream&#39; UN-proscribed terrorists: India</a></p>


Hafiz Saeed spoke on the day of Vijay Diwas that marks the military victory over Pakistan who was defeated by the joint Indo-Bangladesh command

In a recent video posted by Jama'at-ud-Da'wah on Twitter, its chief Hafiz Saeed has blamed India for the fall of Dhaka. "India is behind the Fall of Dhaka, as confessed by Narendra Modi in his speech in Dhaka University, Bangladesh," said Hafiz Saeed. He also added that "the avenge for Dhaka is due." Saeed also said that "to avenge East Pakistan, a way of revenging Kashmir is underway and is in the process, it will go very long way." Also read: Hafiz Saeed hopes detention will boost Kashmiris' 'struggle against India' Mashriqi Pakistan (East Pakistan) ka badla lena hai toh, Kashmir se intequam ka rasta ban raha hai, nikal raha hai, chal raha hai aur Inshallah yeh tehreek jaari hai, isne bahut aage jana hai: Jammat-ud-Dawah's Chief Hafiz Saeed in Lahore, Pakistan pic.twitter.com/BK6UxKbCTk — ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2017 × Hafiz Saeed spoke on the day of Vijay Diwas that marks the military victory over Pakistan who was defeated by the joint Indo-Bangladesh command. Following the Pakistan military surrender on 16 December, it led to the disintegration of east and west Pakistan and Bangladesh liberated from Pakistani Occupation forces. Also read: Hafiz Saeed's release an attempt by Pakistan to 'mainstream' UN-proscribed terrorists: India

'The avenge for Dhaka is due': Hafiz Saeed threatens India in new video

<p>President Trump signed the defense <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-congress-approves-bill-delinking-haqqani-network-from-let-25078">policy bill on Wednesday authorizing</a> $700 billion military spending for the coming fiscal which included reimbursement for Pakistan for its support to US troops involved in military operations in Afghanistan.</p>

<p>US Congress had passed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/freed-canadian-hostage-says-haqqani-network-raped-american-wife-murdered-baby-22456">the National Defence Authorisation Act(NDAA)&nbsp;early </a>last month, allowing up to $700m in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for Pakistan, Dawn newspaper reported.</p>

<p>The Pakistan daily added that half the amount has been withheld and can only be released if the US secretary of defence James Mattis certifies that Pakistan is taking &quot;demonstrable steps to curb the Haqqani terrorist network.&quot;</p>

<p>Former defense secretary Ashton Carter including James Mattis had refused to certify&nbsp;Pakistan earlier over its progress to eliminate the Haqqani Network which the US says is actively involved in terror activities in Afganistan.</p>

<p>The defense law requires Pentagon to monitor Washington&rsquo;s security assistance to Pakistan and ensure that it does not use military aid to support militant groups, the report said.</p>

<p>In the earlier version of the bill, US authorities had included both the Haqqani terrorist network and Hafiz Saeed&#39;s Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) which India accuses is responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.</p>

<p>However, in the final version of the bill, US authorities dropped LeT from the list.</p>

<p>The NDAA 2018 also expressed concern about the alleged persecution of various political or religious groups in Pakistan, including Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, Sindhis, Hazaras and the Baloch, the Pakistan daily said, adding the bill urged Mattis to ensure that Pakistan does not use &quot;any assistance provided by the United States to persecute minority groups.&quot;&nbsp;</p>


US Congress had passed the National Defence Authorisation Act(NDAA)?early last month, allowing up to $700m in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for Pakistan, Dawn newspaper reported.

President Trump signed the defense policy bill on Wednesday authorizing $700 billion military spending for the coming fiscal which included reimbursement for Pakistan for its support to US troops involved in military operations in Afghanistan. US Congress had passed the National Defence Authorisation Act(NDAA) early last month, allowing up to $700m in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for Pakistan, Dawn newspaper reported. The Pakistan daily added that half the amount has been withheld and can only be released if the US secretary of defence James Mattis certifies that Pakistan is taking "demonstrable steps to curb the Haqqani terrorist network." Former defense secretary Ashton Carter including James Mattis had refused to certify Pakistan earlier over its progress to eliminate the Haqqani Network which the US says is actively involved in terror activities in Afganistan. The defense law requires Pentagon to monitor Washington’s security assistance to Pakistan and ensure that it does not use military aid to support militant groups, the report said. In the earlier version of the bill, US authorities had included both the Haqqani terrorist network and Hafiz Saeed's Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) which India accuses is responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. However, in the final version of the bill, US authorities dropped LeT from the list. The NDAA 2018 also expressed concern about the alleged persecution of various political or religious groups in Pakistan, including Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, Sindhis, Hazaras and the Baloch, the Pakistan daily said, adding the bill urged Mattis to ensure that Pakistan does not use "any assistance provided by the United States to persecute minority groups."

Trump's defense bill to reimburse $700 million to Pak for supporting Afghanistan operation: Report

<p>Fourteen United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN official said on Friday -- the worst attack in the organisation`s recent history.&nbsp;</p>

<p>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who put the death toll at &quot;at least 12&quot; Tanzanian peacekeepers, said another 40 were wounded in the violence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A UN official, who spoke anonymously, told AFP that 14 peacekeepers were killed.</p>

<p>The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, is believed to have been targeted by Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF, one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region, according to Congolese military sources.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement, Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organisation`s recent history.</p>

<p>&quot;I condemn this attack unequivocally. These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime,&quot; Guterres said in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else.&quot;</p>

<p>Guterres said at least five Congolese soldiers were also killed in Thursday`s attack.</p>

<p>The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene.&nbsp;</p>


Fourteen United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN official said on Friday -- the worst attack in the organisation`s recent history. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who put the death toll at "at least 12" Tanzanian peacekeepers, said another 40 were wounded in the violence. A UN official, who spoke anonymously, told AFP that 14 peacekeepers were killed. The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, is believed to have been targeted by Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF, one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region, according to Congolese military sources. In a statement, Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organisation`s recent history. "I condemn this attack unequivocally. These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime," Guterres said in a statement. "I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else." Guterres said at least five Congolese soldiers were also killed in Thursday`s attack. The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene.

WION Morning News Brief, 9 December, 2017

<p>The United States today advised its citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan, saying that foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continue to pose a threat to them throughout the country.</p>

<p>The warning comes in the wake of increasing terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks, in Pakistan.</p>

<p>In a travel warning issued after a gap of seven months, the State Department warned the US citizens against all non-essential travel to the South Asian country.</p>

<p>The fresh travel warning replaces earlier warning, issued on May 22.</p>

<p>Pakistan continues to experience significant terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks, the State Department said, adding that targeted attacks against government officials, humanitarian and non-governmental organisation (NGO) employees, tribal elders, and law enforcement personnel were common in the country.</p>

<p>It said foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continue to pose a danger to US citizens throughout Pakistan.</p>

<p>Terrorists have targeted US diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past, and evidence suggests they continue to do so, the travel warning said, adding that terrorists and criminal groups have resorted to kidnapping for ransom.</p>

<p>Sectarian violence, the State Department said, remains a serious threat throughout the country, and the Pakistani government continues to enforce blasphemy laws.</p>

<p>Religious minority communities have been victims of targeted killings and accusations of blasphemy, it added.</p>

<p>The State Department said insurgent and terrorist groups conducted numerous suicide bombings, hand grenade attacks, and ambushes on Pakistani security forces and civilians over the past six months in Balochistan.</p>

<p>A suicide bomber in Quetta targeted senior police officers near Shuhada Chowk, killing 14 people and wounding 30. In Chaman, another suicide bomber attacked a police convoy, killing three police officials and injuring 20 others, it said while giving details of terrorist attacks in Pakistan&#39;s restive Balochistan and FATA.</p>

<p>Two hand grenade attacks in Gwadar and Mastung injured 41 people. In Quetta, a suicide bomber killed 21 people and wounded 45 in an attack on the Pishin bus terminal, the State Department said.</p>

<p>Similarly, a suicide bomber in Jhal Magsi attacked worshippers at the Sufi shrine of Pir Rakhyal Shah in the Fatehpur area, killing 19 and injuring 30. Another suicide bomber in Quetta attacked a police convoy on the Sibbi Road in the Saryab mill area, killing seven and wounding 23, it said.</p>

<p>In Punjab province, three suicide bombings targeting police and military officials in Lahore killed at least 47 and injured more than 100 others.</p>

<p>In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and the Federally Administered Tribal areas (FATA), there have been numerous recent attacks by insurgent and terrorist groups targeting government officials, NGO and aid workers, religious minorities, and civilians. Also 148 occurrences of small arms fire, over 67 improvised explosive devices (IED) explosions, 28 known assassination attempts, and 17 kidnappings were reported, the State Department said.</p>

<p>Assassination and kidnapping attempts are common throughout these areas, it added.</p>

<p>The Department said terrorist organisations operating in the area have not discriminated between government officials and civilians.</p>

<p>Since May 2017, the following significant attacks have occurred: in Parachinar, an IED targeting the Tori Market killed 67 civilians and injured 75; in Jamrud, an IED attack targeting peace committee workers killed at least five civilians; in Charsadda, at least five IEDs exploded, injuring 14 people; IEDs targeting Peshawar Hospital injured five people; and in Peshawar the detonation of a &quot;toy bomb&quot; killed one child and injured six persons, it said.&nbsp;</p>


The warning comes in the wake of increasing terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks, in Pakistan

The United States today advised its citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan, saying that foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continue to pose a threat to them throughout the country. The warning comes in the wake of increasing terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks, in Pakistan. In a travel warning issued after a gap of seven months, the State Department warned the US citizens against all non-essential travel to the South Asian country. The fresh travel warning replaces earlier warning, issued on May 22. Pakistan continues to experience significant terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks, the State Department said, adding that targeted attacks against government officials, humanitarian and non-governmental organisation (NGO) employees, tribal elders, and law enforcement personnel were common in the country. It said foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continue to pose a danger to US citizens throughout Pakistan. Terrorists have targeted US diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past, and evidence suggests they continue to do so, the travel warning said, adding that terrorists and criminal groups have resorted to kidnapping for ransom. Sectarian violence, the State Department said, remains a serious threat throughout the country, and the Pakistani government continues to enforce blasphemy laws. Religious minority communities have been victims of targeted killings and accusations of blasphemy, it added. The State Department said insurgent and terrorist groups conducted numerous suicide bombings, hand grenade attacks, and ambushes on Pakistani security forces and civilians over the past six months in Balochistan. A suicide bomber in Quetta targeted senior police officers near Shuhada Chowk, killing 14 people and wounding 30. In Chaman, another suicide bomber attacked a police convoy, killing three police officials and injuring 20 others, it said while giving details of terrorist attacks in Pakistan's restive Balochistan and FATA. Two hand grenade attacks in Gwadar and Mastung injured 41 people. In Quetta, a suicide bomber killed 21 people and wounded 45 in an attack on the Pishin bus terminal, the State Department said. Similarly, a suicide bomber in Jhal Magsi attacked worshippers at the Sufi shrine of Pir Rakhyal Shah in the Fatehpur area, killing 19 and injuring 30. Another suicide bomber in Quetta attacked a police convoy on the Sibbi Road in the Saryab mill area, killing seven and wounding 23, it said. In Punjab province, three suicide bombings targeting police and military officials in Lahore killed at least 47 and injured more than 100 others. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and the Federally Administered Tribal areas (FATA), there have been numerous recent attacks by insurgent and terrorist groups targeting government officials, NGO and aid workers, religious minorities, and civilians. Also 148 occurrences of small arms fire, over 67 improvised explosive devices (IED) explosions, 28 known assassination attempts, and 17 kidnappings were reported, the State Department said. Assassination and kidnapping attempts are common throughout these areas, it added. The Department said terrorist organisations operating in the area have not discriminated between government officials and civilians. Since May 2017, the following significant attacks have occurred: in Parachinar, an IED targeting the Tori Market killed 67 civilians and injured 75; in Jamrud, an IED attack targeting peace committee workers killed at least five civilians; in Charsadda, at least five IEDs exploded, injuring 14 people; IEDs targeting Peshawar Hospital injured five people; and in Peshawar the detonation of a "toy bomb" killed one child and injured six persons, it said.

Defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan: US tells citizens

<p>Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed appeared in public for the first time since his release from house arrest in a rally against US President Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.</p>

<p>Addressing JuD supporters in Chauburji near Lahore amid anti-India &amp; anti-US chants, Saeed said: &quot;Any Muslim country if opens its consulate in Jerusalem should be barred from opening their embassies in the Muslim countries.&quot;</p>

<p>The Jammat chief who has been declared a global terrorist said the Pakistan government should convene a session of joint parliament to discuss the Jerusalem issue.</p>

<p>&quot;Since Pakistan is a nuclear power it should lead the Muslim world. It should convene an Islamic summit and give a befitting response to the Trump administration,&quot; he said, adding that the world should also raise the issue of Kashmir along with Palestine.</p>

<p>The rally took place even as US defence secretary Jim Mattis visited Pakistan to gauge the response of Pakistan amid growing terror attacks in Afganistan. Hafiz whom India accuses of being the mastermind behind the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 has openly said he would be fighting for the &quot;Kashmir cause&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;We will gather the people and launch an organised campaign against the US on the issue,&quot; he said in front of a large JuD gathering.</p>

<p>A Lahore High Court&#39;s Judicial Review Board had unanimously ordered Saeed&#39;s release on November 24 after the Pakistan government failed to provide any evidence related to terrorism.</p>


The Jammat chief who has been declared a global terrorist said the Pakistan government should convene a session of joint parliament to discuss the Jerusalem issue.

Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed appeared in public for the first time since his release from house arrest in a rally against US President Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Addressing JuD supporters in Chauburji near Lahore amid anti-India & anti-US chants, Saeed said: "Any Muslim country if opens its consulate in Jerusalem should be barred from opening their embassies in the Muslim countries." The Jammat chief who has been declared a global terrorist said the Pakistan government should convene a session of joint parliament to discuss the Jerusalem issue. "Since Pakistan is a nuclear power it should lead the Muslim world. It should convene an Islamic summit and give a befitting response to the Trump administration," he said, adding that the world should also raise the issue of Kashmir along with Palestine. The rally took place even as US defence secretary Jim Mattis visited Pakistan to gauge the response of Pakistan amid growing terror attacks in Afganistan. Hafiz whom India accuses of being the mastermind behind the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 has openly said he would be fighting for the "Kashmir cause". "We will gather the people and launch an organised campaign against the US on the issue," he said in front of a large JuD gathering. A Lahore High Court's Judicial Review Board had unanimously ordered Saeed's release on November 24 after the Pakistan government failed to provide any evidence related to terrorism.

In first public address, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed hits out at US

<p>Defence Secretary <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/there-can-be-no-tolerance-of-terror-safe-havens-says-us-defence-secretary-james-mattis-in-india-20679">Jim Mattis arrived in Pakistan today</a> amid controversy surrounding the release of Jamaat(JuD) chief Hafiz Sayeed.</p>

<p>Talking to reporters on Sunday, Mattis said he did not plan to &quot;prod Pakistan into action&quot; because he expected Islamabad to &quot;adhere to promises to combat terrorism&quot;.</p>

<p>Mattis landed at Pakistan Air Force base in Rawalpindi, bordering Islamabad.</p>

<p>In October, replying to the US House Armed Services Committee Mattis had said his government would &quot;try to work with Pakistan to address the problem of terrorism but if it fails then the US president&nbsp;would be prepared to take whatever steps necessary&quot;.</p>

<p>The Trump administration had earlier notified the US Congress that it was giving $255 million to Pakistan in military assistance only if it cracked down on terror groups.</p>

<p>The US administration had last week condemned Pakistan for the release of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed from house arrest.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Soon after his release, Saeed gave a speech in Lahore in which he resumed anti-India rhetoric and promised to mobilise people for the &quot;cause of Kashmir&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mattis is set to meet Pakistan PM Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa in Islamabad to discuss a range of issues including terrorism and Afganistan strategy.</p>


The US administration had last week condemned Pakistan for the release of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed from house arrest.?

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Pakistan today amid controversy surrounding the release of Jamaat(JuD) chief Hafiz Sayeed. Talking to reporters on Sunday, Mattis said he did not plan to "prod Pakistan into action" because he expected Islamabad to "adhere to promises to combat terrorism". Mattis landed at Pakistan Air Force base in Rawalpindi, bordering Islamabad. In October, replying to the US House Armed Services Committee Mattis had said his government would "try to work with Pakistan to address the problem of terrorism but if it fails then the US president would be prepared to take whatever steps necessary". The Trump administration had earlier notified the US Congress that it was giving $255 million to Pakistan in military assistance only if it cracked down on terror groups. The US administration had last week condemned Pakistan for the release of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed from house arrest. Soon after his release, Saeed gave a speech in Lahore in which he resumed anti-India rhetoric and promised to mobilise people for the "cause of Kashmir". Mattis is set to meet Pakistan PM Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa in Islamabad to discuss a range of issues including terrorism and Afganistan strategy.

Watch: US defence secretary Mattis arrives in Pakistan, set to discuss Hafiz Saeed's release

<p>The US is not satisfied with Pakistan&#39;s cooperation in the war against terror as it has not done &quot;anything significant&quot; to rein-in the Taliban and the Haqqani network and destroy their sanctuary on its territory as part of its promise, a senior White House official has said.</p>

<p>He also termed the release of Mumbai-terror attack accused Hafiz Saeed as &quot;a step backward&quot; in that direction.</p>

<p>The official said that the release of the Coleman family, held captive for five years by the Haqqani network, from inside Pakistan was &quot;not an indication&quot; of Islamabad&#39;s cooperation with the US in the war against terrorism.</p>

<p>Based on the intelligence shared by the US, in October, the Pakistan Army rescued Caitlan Coleman, her husband Joshua Boyle and their three children after five years of their abduction by terrorists having ties to the Afghan Taliban from the mountainous Kurram Valley region, bordering Afghanistan.</p>

<p>&quot;Our diplomatic pressure, as well as our own intelligence agencies diligent work led to the release of the Coleman family. So, I am not sure if that qualifies as step forward (by Pakistan as part of the South Asia Strategy announced by President Donald Trump in August),&quot; the official told PTI.</p>

<p>&quot;We are happy that the Colemans are free and that they have been released. But we are still waiting to see Pakistan take steps to rein in the Taliban and the Haqqani network. We are not satisfied that they have done anything significant on this front,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The US, the official said, has now a different approach to Pakistan. &quot;We expect, Pakistan to take steps against terror sanctuary on its territory&quot;.</p>

<p>Acknowledging that Pakistan has not taken steps it promised after the announcement of the South Asia Strategy, the senior administration official said that the White House is still hopeful that Pakistan sees that it is in its interest to co-operate on the US strategy in Afghanistan.</p>

<p>&quot;But we have not yet seen any significant changes. We still remain hopeful. And we recognise that some of these changes take a bit of time and wouldn&#39;t necessarily occur overnight.</p>

<p>&quot;But we will expect to see these changes within a certain time-frame. Our patience is not unlimited when it comes to the steps that we expect them to take,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The Trump Administration has been very specific with Pakistan on the steps that it needs to take, we have laid out very specific steps that they need to take to degrade these groups activities and to facilitate a genuine dialogue, the official said.</p>

<p>&quot;But, I don&#39;t think we have seen any significant steps in that direction. So, we are still waiting and watching and monitoring (Pakistan) very closely. And we&#39;re still hopeful that we will see Pakistan take some of those steps to crack down on the Taliban, the Haqqani network, and ensure that there are no safe havens, for these groups to continue operating inside Pakistan,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>The US, the official said, would be looking for very specific action from Pakistan within coming weeks and months.</p>

<p>He said that by spring, the Trump Administration would hope to see some real efforts on &quot;genuine&quot; peace process, as it is not interested in talks for talk&#39;s sake.</p>

<p>&quot;We would like to see a genuine peace dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban. We know that the Taliban has made gains for the last several years. So until they are convinced that they are not going to have sanctuary in Pakistan, we don&#39;t believe they&#39;ll be ready for talks.</p>

<p>&quot;They will continue to believe that they can advance on the battlefield rather than on the negotiating table,&quot; he said, adding &quot;so, we need to see Pakistan ensures that they don&#39;t have a sanctuary within Pakistan. And only at that time we assess that they&#39;ll really be ready for genuine negotiations with the Afghan government&quot;.</p>

<p>The White House official, however, refused to give any timeline for actions on Pakistan, saying he thinks that it would not be helpful.</p>

<p>&quot;But I just want to assure you that that we are thinking in terms of timelines and we are monitoring the progress and we do expect meaningful actions in a certain time-frame and we are prepared to implement new policies and take different steps if we don&#39;t see some progress,&quot; he said.</p>


The US is not satisfied with Pakistan's cooperation in the war against terror as it has not done "anything significant" to rein-in the Taliban and the Haqqani network and destroy their sanctuary on its territory as part of its promise, a senior White House official has said

The US is not satisfied with Pakistan's cooperation in the war against terror as it has not done "anything significant" to rein-in the Taliban and the Haqqani network and destroy their sanctuary on its territory as part of its promise, a senior White House official has said. He also termed the release of Mumbai-terror attack accused Hafiz Saeed as "a step backward" in that direction. The official said that the release of the Coleman family, held captive for five years by the Haqqani network, from inside Pakistan was "not an indication" of Islamabad's cooperation with the US in the war against terrorism. Based on the intelligence shared by the US, in October, the Pakistan Army rescued Caitlan Coleman, her husband Joshua Boyle and their three children after five years of their abduction by terrorists having ties to the Afghan Taliban from the mountainous Kurram Valley region, bordering Afghanistan. "Our diplomatic pressure, as well as our own intelligence agencies diligent work led to the release of the Coleman family. So, I am not sure if that qualifies as step forward (by Pakistan as part of the South Asia Strategy announced by President Donald Trump in August)," the official told PTI. "We are happy that the Colemans are free and that they have been released. But we are still waiting to see Pakistan take steps to rein in the Taliban and the Haqqani network. We are not satisfied that they have done anything significant on this front," he said. The US, the official said, has now a different approach to Pakistan. "We expect, Pakistan to take steps against terror sanctuary on its territory". Acknowledging that Pakistan has not taken steps it promised after the announcement of the South Asia Strategy, the senior administration official said that the White House is still hopeful that Pakistan sees that it is in its interest to co-operate on the US strategy in Afghanistan. "But we have not yet seen any significant changes. We still remain hopeful. And we recognise that some of these changes take a bit of time and wouldn't necessarily occur overnight. "But we will expect to see these changes within a certain time-frame. Our patience is not unlimited when it comes to the steps that we expect them to take," he said. The Trump Administration has been very specific with Pakistan on the steps that it needs to take, we have laid out very specific steps that they need to take to degrade these groups activities and to facilitate a genuine dialogue, the official said. "But, I don't think we have seen any significant steps in that direction. So, we are still waiting and watching and monitoring (Pakistan) very closely. And we're still hopeful that we will see Pakistan take some of those steps to crack down on the Taliban, the Haqqani network, and ensure that there are no safe havens, for these groups to continue operating inside Pakistan," he added. The US, the official said, would be looking for very specific action from Pakistan within coming weeks and months. He said that by spring, the Trump Administration would hope to see some real efforts on "genuine" peace process, as it is not interested in talks for talk's sake. "We would like to see a genuine peace dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban. We know that the Taliban has made gains for the last several years. So until they are convinced that they are not going to have sanctuary in Pakistan, we don't believe they'll be ready for talks. "They will continue to believe that they can advance on the battlefield rather than on the negotiating table," he said, adding "so, we need to see Pakistan ensures that they don't have a sanctuary within Pakistan. And only at that time we assess that they'll really be ready for genuine negotiations with the Afghan government". The White House official, however, refused to give any timeline for actions on Pakistan, saying he thinks that it would not be helpful. "But I just want to assure you that that we are thinking in terms of timelines and we are monitoring the progress and we do expect meaningful actions in a certain time-frame and we are prepared to implement new policies and take different steps if we don't see some progress," he said.

Pakistan hasn't done anything significant in war against terror: US

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-release-of-hafiz-saeed-calls-for-immediate-re-arrest-25136" target="_blank">Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed </a>has announced that he would contest the general elections in 2018.&nbsp;</p>

<p>JD(U) chief has reportedly told he would contest on a national assembly seat from the Milli Muslim League (MML), according to Pakistani media reports.</p>

<p>Hafiz Saeed launched MML in August 2017.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The league claims to work to make Pakistan a real Islamic and welfare state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Saeed, accused of masterminding the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nine-years-since-mumbai-terror-attacks-victims-await-for-justice-25145" target="_blank">2008 attacks in Mumbai</a>, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months.</p>

<p>After his release from the house arrest, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed had filed a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-files-petition-in-un-to-remove-terrorist-tag-25302" target="_blank">petition in the United Nations </a>asking that he be dropped from the list of designated terrorist.</p>

<p>Saeed was put on the UN terror list on&nbsp;December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-in-releasing-hafiz-saeed-pakistan-challenges-india-and-us-25420" target="_blank"> US </a>has also designated Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on his head.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


According to a Pakistan media, JD(U) chief has said that he would contest on a National Assembly seat from the Milli Muslim League (MML)

Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed has announced that he would contest the general elections in 2018. JD(U) chief has reportedly told he would contest on a national assembly seat from the Milli Muslim League (MML), according to Pakistani media reports. Hafiz Saeed launched MML in August 2017. The league claims to work to make Pakistan a real Islamic and welfare state. Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months. After his release from the house arrest, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed had filed a petition in the United Nations asking that he be dropped from the list of designated terrorist. Saeed was put on the UN terror list on December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives. The US has also designated Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on his head.

Hafiz Saeed to contest Pakistan general elections in 2018

<p>In a major breakthrough, police have apprehended <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pervez-musharraf-im-lashkars-biggest-supporter-they-like-me-too-25405">a Jama&#39;at-</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pervez-musharraf-im-lashkars-biggest-supporter-they-like-me-too-25405">ud</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pervez-musharraf-im-lashkars-biggest-supporter-they-like-me-too-25405">-Da&#39;wah(JuD)-linked terrorist</a> Mohamad Amir also known as Abu Hamas.</p>

<p>In a video accessed by WION, Aamir openly confessed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-files-petition-in-un-to-remove-terrorist-tag-25302">he was trained by JuD handlers</a> who he said &quot;radicalised jobless youth&quot;.</p>

<p>India&#39;s intelligence agencies say Aamir,18, belongs to Karachi and his father is a retired policeman.</p>

<p>Aamir is said to be a &quot;master of small arms fire&quot;. Intelligence agencies believe Aamir is part of &quot;22 anti-India terrorist squads&quot; belonging to Jamat&#39;s front organization the Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT).</p>

<p>Hamas reportedly underwent a fifteen-day training with Jamat at Nuriya Bad, near Karachi where fifteen young Pakistani men belonging to various parts of the country were trained.</p>

<p>Hamas was interrogated by Indian police and intelligence authorities at an undisclosed location.</p>

<p>JuD chief Hafiz Saeed who was released from house arrest in Pakistan two weeks ago had said he would gather people across Pakistan for the &quot;cause of Kashmir&quot; and try to help Kashmiris get their &quot;destination of freedom&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I was detained for 10 months only to stop my voice for Kashmir,&quot; Saeed said soon after walking free, adding,&quot; I fight for the cause of Kashmiris. I will gather the people from across the country for the cause of Kashmir and we will try to help Kashmiris get their destination of freedom.&quot;</p>

<p>India has accused&nbsp;Hafiz Saeed of being the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which over 160 people were killed.</p>

<p>Saeed was declared a global terrorist by the US and the UN after the Mumbai attack.</p>


In a video accessed by WION, Aamir openly confessed to being trained by JuD handlers who he said "radicalised jobless youth".

In a major breakthrough, police have apprehended a Jama'at-ud-Da'wah(JuD)-linked terrorist Mohamad Amir also known as Abu Hamas. In a video accessed by WION, Aamir openly confessed he was trained by JuD handlers who he said "radicalised jobless youth". India's intelligence agencies say Aamir,18, belongs to Karachi and his father is a retired policeman. Aamir is said to be a "master of small arms fire". Intelligence agencies believe Aamir is part of "22 anti-India terrorist squads" belonging to Jamat's front organization the Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT). Hamas reportedly underwent a fifteen-day training with Jamat at Nuriya Bad, near Karachi where fifteen young Pakistani men belonging to various parts of the country were trained. Hamas was interrogated by Indian police and intelligence authorities at an undisclosed location. JuD chief Hafiz Saeed who was released from house arrest in Pakistan two weeks ago had said he would gather people across Pakistan for the "cause of Kashmir" and try to help Kashmiris get their "destination of freedom". "I was detained for 10 months only to stop my voice for Kashmir," Saeed said soon after walking free, adding," I fight for the cause of Kashmiris. I will gather the people from across the country for the cause of Kashmir and we will try to help Kashmiris get their destination of freedom." India has accused Hafiz Saeed of being the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which over 160 people were killed. Saeed was declared a global terrorist by the US and the UN after the Mumbai attack.

Watch: In-camera confession of JuD terrorist from Peshawar

<p>Pervez Musharraf has said that he is banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba&#39;s (LeT) &quot;biggest supporter&quot; and that he is aware that they &quot;like&quot; him too.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In an interview with Pakistan&#39;s ARY News, Musharraf said that he is similarly appreciative of&nbsp;LeT co-founder and the man thought to be the&nbsp;mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Hafiz Saeed.</p>

<p>Musharraf was quoted as saying <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-walks-free-vows-to-fight-for-kashmir-cause-24988" target="_blank">Saeed &quot;is involved in Kashmir&quot;</a> and that he &quot;supports&quot; that involvement.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-files-petition-in-un-to-remove-terrorist-tag-25302" target="_blank">Hafiz Saeed files petition in UN to get terrorist tag removed</a></p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-should-ensure-hafiz-saeed-is-arrested-us-25045" target="_blank">Pakistan should ensure Hafiz Saeed is </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-should-ensure-hafiz-saeed-is-arrested-us-25045" target="_blank">arrestedl</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-should-ensure-hafiz-saeed-is-arrested-us-25045" target="_blank">, says </a><a class="gr-progress" href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-should-ensure-hafiz-saeed-is-arrested-us-25045" target="_blank">US</a></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am the biggest supporter of LeT and I know they like me &amp; JuD also likes me: Pervez Musharraf to Pakistan&#39;s ARY News, also said &#39;yes&#39; on being asked if he likes Hafiz Saeed, added that, &#39;I have met him (Hafiz Saeed)&#39; <a href="https://t.co/txxT58oPoU">pic.twitter.com/txxT58oPoU</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935710968058822656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Was always in favor of action in Kashmir &amp; of suppressing Indian Army in Kashmir &amp; they are the biggest force (LeT), India got them declared as terrorists by partnering with US. Yes they (LeT) are involved in Kashmir &amp; in Kashmir it is b/w we &amp; India: Musharraf to ARY News <a href="https://t.co/b1fOAyreKl">pic.twitter.com/b1fOAyreKl</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935712835278999557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hafiz Saeed is a&nbsp;United Nations-designated terrorist who was freed from house arrest last week on an order of Lahore high court.</p>

<p>The US also branded Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on Saeed&#39;s head after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Musharraf claimed Saeed was not involved in the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 because Saeed &quot;himself denied the charges&quot; of being the attacks&#39; mastermind.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-if-pakistan-army-wants-nothing-can-stop-hafiz-saeed-from-being-a-free-man-24881" target="_blank">Opinion: If Pakistan Army wants, Hafiz Saeed will be a free man</a></p>

<p>Musharraf was declared a fugitive from justice by Pakistan in August this year.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Musharraf also said he was appreciative of the man thought to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks -- LeT co-founder Hafeez Saeed

Pervez Musharraf has said that he is banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) "biggest supporter" and that he is aware that they "like" him too. In an interview with Pakistan's ARY News, Musharraf said that he is similarly appreciative of LeT co-founder and the man thought to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Hafiz Saeed. Musharraf was quoted as saying Saeed "is involved in Kashmir" and that he "supports" that involvement. Also read: Hafiz Saeed files petition in UN to get terrorist tag removed Also read: Pakistan should ensure Hafiz Saeed is arrestedl, says US I am the biggest supporter of LeT and I know they like me & JuD also likes me: Pervez Musharraf to Pakistan's ARY News, also said 'yes' on being asked if he likes Hafiz Saeed, added that, 'I have met him (Hafiz Saeed)' pic.twitter.com/txxT58oPoU — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × Was always in favor of action in Kashmir & of suppressing Indian Army in Kashmir & they are the biggest force (LeT), India got them declared as terrorists by partnering with US. Yes they (LeT) are involved in Kashmir & in Kashmir it is b/w we & India: Musharraf to ARY News pic.twitter.com/b1fOAyreKl — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × Hafiz Saeed is a United Nations-designated terrorist who was freed from house arrest last week on an order of Lahore high court. The US also branded Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on Saeed's head after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Musharraf claimed Saeed was not involved in the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 because Saeed "himself denied the charges" of being the attacks' mastermind. Opinion: If Pakistan Army wants, Hafiz Saeed will be a free man Musharraf was declared a fugitive from justice by Pakistan in August this year.

I am Lashkar's biggest supporter, I know they like me: Pervez Musharraf

<p>Pakistan has been a reluctant player in the global war against terrorism. This is not something which is not known to the world. But the frequent flip-flops by world powers have only emboldened Pakistan to carry out with its state policy of sponsoring terrorism with impunity.</p>

<p>With unflinching support from its all-weather ally China, which has often misused its position of veto power at the Security Council, Pakistan does not give two hoots to reported threats or warnings. Pakistan has, once again, thumbed its nose at India and the United States by releasing terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed from house arrest.</p>

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<h5>Pakistan may fend off criticism by saying that it is the court which has decided to free him and not the government.</h5>
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<p>Pakistan may fend off criticism by saying that it is the court which has decided to free him and not the government. But it surely cannot escape blame for not presenting its case properly in the court, facilitating Saeed&rsquo;s release from house arrest. &nbsp;In fact, India has presented voluminous evidence to Pakistan for his role in the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistan&rsquo;s feeble defence that Saeed&rsquo;s release could invite economic sanctions did not cut ice with the court.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Hafiz Saeed&rsquo;s release is no doubt a setback for India, but it also sets Pakistan on a collision course with the United States which has announced a $10 million bounty on his head over the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. It should be recalled that the United States Department of the Treasury had designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under executive order 13224 in May 2008 before the Mumbai attacks happened.</p>

<p>And a month later, November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks, Saeed was also individually designated by the United Nations under UNSCR 1267. Ironically, Saeed had been moving freely in Pakistan, ranting against India and the United States for more than eight years before his so-called house arrest in January this year. That Pakistan has allowed him to carry on with his anti-Kashmir agenda speaks volumes about its so-called seriousness as far as the war against terrorism is concerned.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Had the US been really serious about Saeed, it could have easily put pressure on Pakistan to act. But Saeed is a lesser threat to the US in comparison to India. That explains the reason why the US is not matching its words with action. The case in point is al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden who was smoked out from his safe compound of Abbottabad in Pakistan&#39;s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in May 2011 by the US elite forces. The US had named Laden as the chief conspirator of the deadly September 11, 2001, attacks.</p>

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<h5>Saeed has presented himself before the media and the people of Pakistan several times. If the US wanted, it could have easily eliminated Saeed.</h5>
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<p>The US announced the bounty on Saeed in 2012 for information leading to his arrest and conviction four years after he was designated as a global terrorist. But the leader of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which has been a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group, had been roaming free and giving hate speeches against India and the US.</p>

<p>While it took nearly 10 years for the United States to locate and kill Laden, Saeed has presented himself before the media and the people of Pakistan several times. If the US wanted, it could have easily eliminated Saeed. Who is playing the joke as far as the bounty on Saeed is concerned? Pakistan or the United States, or both!</p>

<p>The US reacted to Saeed&rsquo;s release by making a supine statement. &ldquo;The Pakistani government should make sure that he is arrested and charged with his crimes,&rdquo; U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
It was only after India launched a major diplomatic drive against Pakistan for allowing the release of Sayeed that the US tempered its language the next day. A White House statement warned of repercussions for US-Pakistan relations and for Pakistan&rsquo;s global reputation unless it took action to detain and charge Sayeed.</p>

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<h5>President Donald Trump has been vociferous in his criticism against Pakistan for its failure to take action against militants engineering attacks on Afghanistan and India from its safe sanctuaries.</h5>
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<p>Unlike the US State Department, the White House statement was very critical of Pakistan and warned that the relations between the two countries depended largely on the latter&rsquo;s conduct. The White House said Pakistan&rsquo;s failure to charge Saeed sent &ldquo;a deeply troubling message about Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to (combating) international terrorism,&rdquo; adding that it also was counter to Pakistan&rsquo;s claim that it did not provide sanctuary to militants.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Unlike his predecessor Barack Obama, President Donald Trump has been vociferous in his criticism against Pakistan for its failure to take action against militants engineering attacks on Afghanistan and India from its safe sanctuaries. &ldquo;We can no longer be silent about Pakistan&rsquo;s safe havens for terrorist organisations,&rdquo; Trump said while unveiling his administration&rsquo;s policy for South Asia in August, adding that Pakistan would have &ldquo;much to lose&rdquo; if it did not comply. But such warnings have had little effect on Pakistan.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
There is no doubt that Pakistan has, of late, fallen out of favour of the United States which accuses it of pocketing billions of dollars meant for anti-militant operations against Afghanistan. The US is fighting a war in Afghanistan against the very militants who have been trained and financed by Pakistan, and who continue to find safe sanctuary in Pakistan after carrying out attacks in Afghanistan.</p>

<p>The ties between the US and Pakistan have worsened further after the later moved closer to China in the last few years.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
If President Trump really wants to live up to his image and his words, then he should decide once and for all whether to continue ties with a country which has been playing a double game as far as the war against terrorism is concerned or to amend his administration&rsquo;s decades-long carrot and stick approach.</p>

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<h5>Non-NATO ally status is conferred on countries which have a strategic working relationship with US forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.</h5>
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<p>To begin with, Trump can revoke Pakistan&rsquo;s non-NATO ally status. Though symbolic, it will deal a big reputational blow to Pakistan. Non-NATO ally status is conferred on countries which have a strategic working relationship with US forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.</p>

<p>The then George Bush administration had designated the non-NATO ally status to Pakistan in 2004 for helping the US in its fight against al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Afghanistan. If Pakistan is still unmoved by this action, then President Trump will have to take a final call what Mr Bush famously used the phrase after the 9/11 attacks that &ldquo;Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.&rdquo;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


Donald Trump should decide whether to continue ties with Pakistan or revoke Pakistan?s non-NATO ally status

Pakistan has been a reluctant player in the global war against terrorism. This is not something which is not known to the world. But the frequent flip-flops by world powers have only emboldened Pakistan to carry out with its state policy of sponsoring terrorism with impunity. With unflinching support from its all-weather ally China, which has often misused its position of veto power at the Security Council, Pakistan does not give two hoots to reported threats or warnings. Pakistan has, once again, thumbed its nose at India and the United States by releasing terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed from house arrest. Pakistan may fend off criticism by saying that it is the court which has decided to free him and not the government. × Pakistan may fend off criticism by saying that it is the court which has decided to free him and not the government. But it surely cannot escape blame for not presenting its case properly in the court, facilitating Saeed’s release from house arrest. In fact, India has presented voluminous evidence to Pakistan for his role in the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistan’s feeble defence that Saeed’s release could invite economic sanctions did not cut ice with the court. Hafiz Saeed’s release is no doubt a setback for India, but it also sets Pakistan on a collision course with the United States which has announced a $10 million bounty on his head over the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. It should be recalled that the United States Department of the Treasury had designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under executive order 13224 in May 2008 before the Mumbai attacks happened. And a month later, November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks, Saeed was also individually designated by the United Nations under UNSCR 1267. Ironically, Saeed had been moving freely in Pakistan, ranting against India and the United States for more than eight years before his so-called house arrest in January this year. That Pakistan has allowed him to carry on with his anti-Kashmir agenda speaks volumes about its so-called seriousness as far as the war against terrorism is concerned. Had the US been really serious about Saeed, it could have easily put pressure on Pakistan to act. But Saeed is a lesser threat to the US in comparison to India. That explains the reason why the US is not matching its words with action. The case in point is al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden who was smoked out from his safe compound of Abbottabad in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in May 2011 by the US elite forces. The US had named Laden as the chief conspirator of the deadly September 11, 2001, attacks. Saeed has presented himself before the media and the people of Pakistan several times. If the US wanted, it could have easily eliminated Saeed. × The US announced the bounty on Saeed in 2012 for information leading to his arrest and conviction four years after he was designated as a global terrorist. But the leader of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which has been a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group, had been roaming free and giving hate speeches against India and the US. While it took nearly 10 years for the United States to locate and kill Laden, Saeed has presented himself before the media and the people of Pakistan several times. If the US wanted, it could have easily eliminated Saeed. Who is playing the joke as far as the bounty on Saeed is concerned? Pakistan or the United States, or both! The US reacted to Saeed’s release by making a supine statement. “The Pakistani government should make sure that he is arrested and charged with his crimes,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. It was only after India launched a major diplomatic drive against Pakistan for allowing the release of Sayeed that the US tempered its language the next day. A White House statement warned of repercussions for US-Pakistan relations and for Pakistan’s global reputation unless it took action to detain and charge Sayeed. President Donald Trump has been vociferous in his criticism against Pakistan for its failure to take action against militants engineering attacks on Afghanistan and India from its safe sanctuaries. × Unlike the US State Department, the White House statement was very critical of Pakistan and warned that the relations between the two countries depended largely on the latter’s conduct. The White House said Pakistan’s failure to charge Saeed sent “a deeply troubling message about Pakistan’s commitment to (combating) international terrorism,” adding that it also was counter to Pakistan’s claim that it did not provide sanctuary to militants. Unlike his predecessor Barack Obama, President Donald Trump has been vociferous in his criticism against Pakistan for its failure to take action against militants engineering attacks on Afghanistan and India from its safe sanctuaries. “We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organisations,” Trump said while unveiling his administration’s policy for South Asia in August, adding that Pakistan would have “much to lose” if it did not comply. But such warnings have had little effect on Pakistan. There is no doubt that Pakistan has, of late, fallen out of favour of the United States which accuses it of pocketing billions of dollars meant for anti-militant operations against Afghanistan. The US is fighting a war in Afghanistan against the very militants who have been trained and financed by Pakistan, and who continue to find safe sanctuary in Pakistan after carrying out attacks in Afghanistan. The ties between the US and Pakistan have worsened further after the later moved closer to China in the last few years. If President Trump really wants to live up to his image and his words, then he should decide once and for all whether to continue ties with a country which has been playing a double game as far as the war against terrorism is concerned or to amend his administration’s decades-long carrot and stick approach. Non-NATO ally status is conferred on countries which have a strategic working relationship with US forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. × To begin with, Trump can revoke Pakistan’s non-NATO ally status. Though symbolic, it will deal a big reputational blow to Pakistan. Non-NATO ally status is conferred on countries which have a strategic working relationship with US forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The then George Bush administration had designated the non-NATO ally status to Pakistan in 2004 for helping the US in its fight against al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Afghanistan. If Pakistan is still unmoved by this action, then President Trump will have to take a final call what Mr Bush famously used the phrase after the 9/11 attacks that “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: In releasing Hafiz Saeed, Pakistan challenges India and US

<p>Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition in the United Nations asking that he be dropped from the list of designated terrorist, news reports said Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Saeed was put on the UN terror list on&nbsp;December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Saeed is thought to be the mastermind of the attacks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India has been urging that he be brought to justice ever since.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US has also designated Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on his head.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hafiz Saeed&nbsp;was under house arrest in Pakistan since January 2017 but&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-walks-free-vows-to-fight-for-kashmir-cause-24988">was released last week</a>.</p>

<p>Soon after his release, Saeed promised to continue his fight to liberate Kashmir.</p>

<p>The petition was filed with the UN while Saeed was still under house arrest by a Lahore-based law firm which has confirmed the move, the news reports said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the reports, the petition included &quot;Hafiz Muhammad Saeed&#39;s de-listing request for removal of his name from the ISIL and Al-Qaida list handled by the United Nations Security Council&rsquo;s ISIL (Da&rsquo;esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the UNSC website, Saeed&nbsp;was outlawed for having links with &quot;Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (QDe.118) and Al Qaida (QDe.004) for being a part of its financial activities, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of both entities.&quot;</p>

<p>Lashkar-e-Taiba was proscribed by the UN in May 2005.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-release-of-hafiz-saeed-calls-for-immediate-re-arrest-25136">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-release-of-hafiz-saeed-calls-for-immediate-re-arrest-25136"> condemns release of Hafiz Saeed, calls for immediate re-arrest</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The petition was filed while Saeed was still under house arrest in Pakistan by a Lahore-based law firm which has confirmed the move

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition in the United Nations asking that he be dropped from the list of designated terrorist, news reports said Tuesday. Saeed was put on the UN terror list on December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives. Saeed is thought to be the mastermind of the attacks. India has been urging that he be brought to justice ever since. The US has also designated Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on his head. Hafiz Saeed was under house arrest in Pakistan since January 2017 but was released last week. Soon after his release, Saeed promised to continue his fight to liberate Kashmir. The petition was filed with the UN while Saeed was still under house arrest by a Lahore-based law firm which has confirmed the move, the news reports said. According to the reports, the petition included "Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's de-listing request for removal of his name from the ISIL and Al-Qaida list handled by the United Nations Security Council’s ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee." According to the UNSC website, Saeed was outlawed for having links with "Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (QDe.118) and Al Qaida (QDe.004) for being a part of its financial activities, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of both entities." Lashkar-e-Taiba was proscribed by the UN in May 2005. Also read: US condemns release of Hafiz Saeed, calls for immediate re-arrest

Hafiz Saeed files petition in UN to get terrorist tag removed

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-files-petition-in-un-to-remove-terrorist-tag-25302"><strong>Hafiz Saeed files petition in UN to drop terrorist tag</strong></a></p>

<p>Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition in the United Nations to remove him from the list of designated terrorist, news reports said Tuesday.&nbsp;Saeed was put on the UN terror list on&nbsp;December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives.</p>

<p><strong><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ivanka-trump-arrives-in-hyderabad-to-addressing-the-global-entrepreneurship-summit-ges-25300">Ivanka arrives in India, will inaugurate Global Entrepreneurship Summit with PM Modi today</a></strong></p>

<p>The United States President Donald Trump&#39;s daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad early Tuesday morning.<br />
Ivanka will be inaugurating and addressing the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad today.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-cracks-pocahontas-joke-while-hosting-native-americans-25296"><strong>Trump cracks Pocahontas &#39;joke&#39; while hosting Native Americans</strong></a></p>

<p>Trump called a Democratic rival &quot;Pocahantas&quot; while hosting Native Americans veterans at the White House Monday. The Native Americans had been &quot;wind talkers&quot; -- Navajo Indians who helped keep Allied operations secret during World War II.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-authorities-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25298"><strong>Bali airport closed for </strong></a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-authorities-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25298"><strong>second</strong></a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-authorities-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25298"><strong> day over fears of volcano eruption</strong></a></p>

<p>Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption. Bali&#39;s Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/gst-collections-fall-over-9-in-october-25303"><strong>GST collections fall over 9% in October</strong></a></p>

<p>Data put out by the government said GST collections fell to Rs 83,346 crore in October from over Rs 90,000 crore in each of the first three months since the tax was rolled out on July 1. &nbsp;</p>


Hafiz Saeed files petition in UN to drop terrorist tag Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition in the United Nations to remove him from the list of designated terrorist, news reports said Tuesday. Saeed was put on the UN terror list on December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives. Ivanka arrives in India, will inaugurate Global Entrepreneurship Summit with PM Modi today The United States President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad early Tuesday morning. Ivanka will be inaugurating and addressing the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad today. Trump cracks Pocahontas 'joke' while hosting Native Americans Trump called a Democratic rival "Pocahantas" while hosting Native Americans veterans at the White House Monday. The Native Americans had been "wind talkers" -- Navajo Indians who helped keep Allied operations secret during World War II. Bali airport closed for second day over fears of volcano eruption Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption. Bali's Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time. GST collections fall over 9% in October Data put out by the government said GST collections fell to Rs 83,346 crore in October from over Rs 90,000 crore in each of the first three months since the tax was rolled out on July 1.

WION morning news brief, November 28, 2017

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/security-strengthened-in-mumbai-on-9th-anniversary-of-mumbai-terror-attacks-25140" target="_blank">Nine years on since the deadly </a>26/11 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/security-strengthened-in-mumbai-on-9th-anniversary-of-mumbai-terror-attacks-25140" target="_blank">terror attack in Mumbai</a>, the victims still await justice.</p>

<p>Devika, a survivor of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus attack, was an eyewitness to the savage killing of&nbsp;people by Kasab and his accomplices.&nbsp;Calling Kasab &quot;a mosquito&quot; she hopes for the arrest of&nbsp;mastermind of the attack&nbsp;Hafiz Saeed.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When I saw Kasab in the courtroom I was livid. I wished I had a gun in my hand, would have shot him there. Anyway Kasab was a mosquito, hope someday the big terrorists are brought to book: Devika,26/11 survivor and eyewitness <a href="https://t.co/iuSfeR6tEu">pic.twitter.com/iuSfeR6tEu</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934617196973645824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Though the victim&#39;s father was happy with death sentence awarded to Kasab, he said they will be satisfied only after the real mastermind sitting in Pakistan is punished.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My daughter was just 9 years old when she got shot,it was traumatic. Yes we are happy that Kasab was hanged but we will not be satisfied till the real mastermind sitting in Pakistan is punished: father of 26/11 attacks survivor Devika <a href="https://t.co/TSi9Bx7yPl">pic.twitter.com/TSi9Bx7yPl</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934600098251599872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Another victim who went into depression after the attack hopes that the Indian government gets Hafiz Saeed and punishes him in the country.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I went into depression after the incident, my relatives had no chance to escape. Happy that perpetrators were either killed or punished. Hafiz Saeed is in Pakistan,would be ideal if Indian Govt gets him here and punishes him: Rahim Ansari,who lost 6 relatives in 26/11 attack <a href="https://t.co/amjdUgdC8B">pic.twitter.com/amjdUgdC8B</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934617303877951488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A tea seller at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, who was involved in the rescue operation aftermath of the attack, is still disturbed by the memory of the devastating attack and hopes for the arrest of the real mastermind behind the attack.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I still get disturbed whenever I think of that moment(26/11 attacks). I rescued many injured people, situation was devastating. I am just waiting for the day the real mastermind sitting in Pakistan is caught: Mohd Taufeeq(chhotu), tea seller at CST and eyewitness <a href="https://t.co/vhLGgm87Qn">pic.twitter.com/vhLGgm87Qn</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934604253183688705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The attack took place on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Terminus, Leopold Cafe, Taj Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House on November 26, 2008. It was carried out by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan who arrived in Mumbai via sea route. As many as 166 people lost their lives while over 300 suffered injuries in the attack.</p>

<p>Nine terrorists were killed while the lone surviving terrorist Kasab was hanged to death on November 21, 2012, at the Yerwada Central Jail in Pune.</p>

<p>Even after nine years&nbsp;of the attack, mastermind Hafiz Saeed is still roaming free.&nbsp;He <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-walks-free-vows-to-fight-for-kashmir-cause-24988" target="_blank">walked free from&nbsp;the house arrest in Pakistan </a>on November 24.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Immediately after his release, the LeT founder resumed the anti-India rhetoric and vowed to mobilise people for the &quot;cause of Kashmir&quot; and called for &quot;jihad&quot;.</p>

<p>Calling the release of Saeed as &quot;a step in the wrong direction&quot; the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-release-of-hafiz-saeed-calls-for-immediate-re-arrest-25136" target="_blank"> White House has condemned his&nbsp;release</a>&nbsp;and asked for his immediate re-arrest.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The US strongly condemns the release of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and calls for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution: The White House</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934470941718880256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As Pres Trump&#39;s South Asia policy makes clear, US seeks a constructive relationship with Pakistan but expects decisive action against militant&amp; terrorist groups on Pak soil that are a threat to the region.The release of Hafiz Saeed is a step in the wrong direction:The White House</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934471618952179717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The attack took place on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Terminus, Leopold Cafe, Taj Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House on November 26, 2008

Nine years on since the deadly 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, the victims still await justice. Devika, a survivor of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus attack, was an eyewitness to the savage killing of people by Kasab and his accomplices. Calling Kasab "a mosquito" she hopes for the arrest of mastermind of the attack Hafiz Saeed. When I saw Kasab in the courtroom I was livid. I wished I had a gun in my hand, would have shot him there. Anyway Kasab was a mosquito, hope someday the big terrorists are brought to book: Devika,26/11 survivor and eyewitness pic.twitter.com/iuSfeR6tEu — ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2017 × Though the victim's father was happy with death sentence awarded to Kasab, he said they will be satisfied only after the real mastermind sitting in Pakistan is punished. My daughter was just 9 years old when she got shot,it was traumatic. Yes we are happy that Kasab was hanged but we will not be satisfied till the real mastermind sitting in Pakistan is punished: father of 26/11 attacks survivor Devika pic.twitter.com/TSi9Bx7yPl — ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2017 × Another victim who went into depression after the attack hopes that the Indian government gets Hafiz Saeed and punishes him in the country. I went into depression after the incident, my relatives had no chance to escape. Happy that perpetrators were either killed or punished. Hafiz Saeed is in Pakistan,would be ideal if Indian Govt gets him here and punishes him: Rahim Ansari,who lost 6 relatives in 26/11 attack pic.twitter.com/amjdUgdC8B — ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2017 × A tea seller at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, who was involved in the rescue operation aftermath of the attack, is still disturbed by the memory of the devastating attack and hopes for the arrest of the real mastermind behind the attack. I still get disturbed whenever I think of that moment(26/11 attacks). I rescued many injured people, situation was devastating. I am just waiting for the day the real mastermind sitting in Pakistan is caught: Mohd Taufeeq(chhotu), tea seller at CST and eyewitness pic.twitter.com/vhLGgm87Qn — ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2017 × The attack took place on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Terminus, Leopold Cafe, Taj Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House on November 26, 2008. It was carried out by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan who arrived in Mumbai via sea route. As many as 166 people lost their lives while over 300 suffered injuries in the attack. Nine terrorists were killed while the lone surviving terrorist Kasab was hanged to death on November 21, 2012, at the Yerwada Central Jail in Pune. Even after nine years of the attack, mastermind Hafiz Saeed is still roaming free. He walked free from the house arrest in Pakistan on November 24. Immediately after his release, the LeT founder resumed the anti-India rhetoric and vowed to mobilise people for the "cause of Kashmir" and called for "jihad". Calling the release of Saeed as "a step in the wrong direction" the White House has condemned his release and asked for his immediate re-arrest. The US strongly condemns the release of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and calls for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution: The White House — ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2017 × As Pres Trump's South Asia policy makes clear, US seeks a constructive relationship with Pakistan but expects decisive action against militant& terrorist groups on Pak soil that are a threat to the region.The release of Hafiz Saeed is a step in the wrong direction:The White House — ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2017 ×

Nine years on, Mumbai terror attack victims call for justice

<p>Unites States has strongly condemned the release of 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution. &nbsp;</p>

<p>India earlier said that decision to release Saeed means&nbsp;Pakistan is not serious about taking strict action against the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba leader.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A White House statement stated: &nbsp;&quot;The United States strongly condemns the release of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) leader Haft Saeed from house arrest in Pakistan and calls for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution.&quot;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-justifies-hafiz-saeeds-release-25127" target="_blank">Also read: Pakistan justifies Hafiz Saeed&#39;s release</a></p>

<p>&quot;A clear international consensus exists regarding Saeed&#39;s culpability. He was designated by the United Nations under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. The Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the United States, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice,&quot; it reads.</p>

<p>Soon after his release, Saeed gave a speech in Lahore in which he resumed&nbsp;anti-India rhetoric and promised to mobilise people for the &#39;cause of Kashmir.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeeds-release-an-attempt-by-pakistan-to-mainstream-un-proscribed-terrorists-india-24962">Hafiz Saeed&#39;s release an attempt by Pakistan to &#39;mainstream&#39; UN-proscribed terrorists, says India</a></strong></p>

<p>Pakistan&#39;s denial to punish the terrorists has been one of the major concerns.&nbsp;&quot;If Pakistan does not take action to lawfully detain Saeed and charge him for&nbsp;his crimes, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistan&#39;s global reputation,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>Donald Trump&#39;s South Asia policy clearly states that the US seeks to build deeper relations with Pakistan but also expects sound decisions against militant and terrorist groups on Pakistani land that can pose a threat to the world. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As Pres Trump&#39;s South Asia policy makes clear, US seeks a constructive relationship with Pakistan but expects decisive action against militant&amp; terrorist groups on Pak soil that are a threat to the region.The release of Hafiz Saeed is a step in the wrong direction:The White House</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934471618952179717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Saeed&#39;s terror organisation, Lashkar-e-Taiba, is behind the death of hundreds of civilians, including American citizens who were killed in the Mumbai attack.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hafiz-saeed-a-terrorist-trump-should-work-with-modi-to-kill-him-us-media-25080">Hafiz Saeed a terrorist, Trump should work with Modi to kill him: US media</a></strong></p>

<p>The US&nbsp;on Thursday<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeed-designated-global-terrorist-us-reminds-pakistan-24887">reminded Pakistan that Hafiz Saeed is a &quot;designated global terrorist&quot; </a>by the United Nations, just hours after a Pakistan Judicial Review Board in Punjab refused to extend the detention of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief.</p>

<p>Pakistan&nbsp;on Saturday&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-justifies-hafiz-saeeds-release-25127">justified the release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind</a> and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, claiming that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions regime on terrorists.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months.</p>


Soon after his release, Saeed gave a speech in Lahore in which he resumed?anti-India rhetoric and promised to mobilise people for the 'cause of Kashmir.?

Unites States has strongly condemned the release of 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution. India earlier said that decision to release Saeed means Pakistan is not serious about taking strict action against the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba leader. A White House statement stated: "The United States strongly condemns the release of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) leader Haft Saeed from house arrest in Pakistan and calls for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution." Also read: Pakistan justifies Hafiz Saeed's release "A clear international consensus exists regarding Saeed's culpability. He was designated by the United Nations under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. The Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the United States, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice," it reads. Soon after his release, Saeed gave a speech in Lahore in which he resumed anti-India rhetoric and promised to mobilise people for the 'cause of Kashmir. Also read: Hafiz Saeed's release an attempt by Pakistan to 'mainstream' UN-proscribed terrorists, says India Pakistan's denial to punish the terrorists has been one of the major concerns. "If Pakistan does not take action to lawfully detain Saeed and charge him for his crimes, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistan's global reputation," it said. Donald Trump's South Asia policy clearly states that the US seeks to build deeper relations with Pakistan but also expects sound decisions against militant and terrorist groups on Pakistani land that can pose a threat to the world. As Pres Trump's South Asia policy makes clear, US seeks a constructive relationship with Pakistan but expects decisive action against militant& terrorist groups on Pak soil that are a threat to the region.The release of Hafiz Saeed is a step in the wrong direction:The White House — ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2017 × US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Saeed's terror organisation, Lashkar-e-Taiba, is behind the death of hundreds of civilians, including American citizens who were killed in the Mumbai attack. Also read: Hafiz Saeed a terrorist, Trump should work with Modi to kill him: US media The US on Thursdayreminded Pakistan that Hafiz Saeed is a "designated global terrorist" by the United Nations, just hours after a Pakistan Judicial Review Board in Punjab refused to extend the detention of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief. Pakistan on Saturday justified the release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, claiming that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions regime on terrorists. Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months.

US condemns release of Hafiz Saeed, calls for immediate re-arrest

<p>Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Sunday that anybody who became a Lashkar commander would not survive for very long.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added that that had been the case for the last eight months.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jaitley was speaking in Surat, Gujarat where the BJP was holding a &quot;Chai pe Charcha&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Pichhle 8 mahine se ye haal hai, ki jo Lashkar ka commander banega wo zyaada din nahi bachega: FM Arun Jaitley in Surat <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a> <a href="https://t.co/rOY6k913O0">pic.twitter.com/rOY6k913O0</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934670171104468992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Jaitley also lashed out at Pakistan, saying there was no place for the country in the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jaitley was referring to the release from house arrest on November 24 of Jamat-ud-Dawa chief and Lashkar-e-Taiba co-founder Hafiz Saeed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Saeed is thought to be the mastermind of the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;If Pakistan can release Hafiz Saeed two days before the anniversary of 26/11, then the whole world is saying in one voice that there is no place for it (Pakistan) in the family of nations,&quot; Jaitley said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The United States has since Saeed&#39;s release called for him to be rearrested.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Agar unhone (Pakistan) aaj ke kand (26/11 attack) se 2 din pehle us apradhi (Hafiz saeed) ki rihayi ki hai, to puri duniya ek aawaz me bol rhi hai, ki aisa desh jo aatank ka samarthan karta hai, uske liye puri duniya ke parivaar me koi jagah nahi hai: FM Arun Jaitley in Surat <a href="https://t.co/u0fQKCxp4L">pic.twitter.com/u0fQKCxp4L</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934669654349438981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Amit Shah was also in Surat, where he said &quot;People from Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Amethi come to Gujarat for jobs&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">People from Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Amethi come to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a> for jobs: BJP National President Amit Shah <a href="https://t.co/tviNyhB3EQ">pic.twitter.com/tviNyhB3EQ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934745905659461634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Jaitley also lashed out at Pakistan, saying there was no place for the country in the world

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Sunday that anybody who became a Lashkar commander would not survive for very long. He added that that had been the case for the last eight months. Jaitley was speaking in Surat, Gujarat where the BJP was holding a "Chai pe Charcha". Pichhle 8 mahine se ye haal hai, ki jo Lashkar ka commander banega wo zyaada din nahi bachega: FM Arun Jaitley in Surat #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/rOY6k913O0 — ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2017 × Jaitley also lashed out at Pakistan, saying there was no place for the country in the world. Jaitley was referring to the release from house arrest on November 24 of Jamat-ud-Dawa chief and Lashkar-e-Taiba co-founder Hafiz Saeed. Saeed is thought to be the mastermind of the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai. "If Pakistan can release Hafiz Saeed two days before the anniversary of 26/11, then the whole world is saying in one voice that there is no place for it (Pakistan) in the family of nations," Jaitley said. The United States has since Saeed's release called for him to be rearrested. Agar unhone (Pakistan) aaj ke kand (26/11 attack) se 2 din pehle us apradhi (Hafiz saeed) ki rihayi ki hai, to puri duniya ek aawaz me bol rhi hai, ki aisa desh jo aatank ka samarthan karta hai, uske liye puri duniya ke parivaar me koi jagah nahi hai: FM Arun Jaitley in Surat pic.twitter.com/u0fQKCxp4L — ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2017 × Amit Shah was also in Surat, where he said "People from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi come to Gujarat for jobs". People from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi come to #Gujarat for jobs: BJP National President Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/tviNyhB3EQ — ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2017 ×

Anybody becoming Lashkar commander will not survive long: Jaitley

<p>The White House said on Saturday there would be repercussions for US-Pakistan relations unless Islamabad took action to detain and charge freed Islamist terrorist Hafiz Saeed&nbsp;accused of masterminding the&nbsp;2008 terrorist attacks&nbsp;in Mumbai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;(Hafiz) Saeed&rsquo;s release, after Pakistan&rsquo;s failure to prosecute or charge him, sends a deeply troubling message about Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to (combating) international terrorism and belies Pakistani claims that it will not provide sanctuary for terrorists on its soil,&quot; the White House said in a statement. (Also Read -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hafiz-saeed-a-terrorist-trump-should-work-with-modi-to-kill-him-us-media-25080">Hafiz Saeed a terrorist, Trump should work with Modi to kill him: US media</a>)</p>

<p>&quot;If Pakistan does not take action to lawfully detain Saeed and charge him for his crimes, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistan&rsquo;s global reputation,&quot; it added. &nbsp;</p>


The White House said on Saturday there would be repercussions for US-Pakistan relations unless Islamabad took action to detain and charge a freed Islamist terrorist accused of masterminding the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai

The White House said on Saturday there would be repercussions for US-Pakistan relations unless Islamabad took action to detain and charge freed Islamist terrorist Hafiz Saeed accused of masterminding the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. "(Hafiz) Saeed’s release, after Pakistan’s failure to prosecute or charge him, sends a deeply troubling message about Pakistan’s commitment to (combating) international terrorism and belies Pakistani claims that it will not provide sanctuary for terrorists on its soil," the White House said in a statement. (Also Read - Hafiz Saeed a terrorist, Trump should work with Modi to kill him: US media) "If Pakistan does not take action to lawfully detain Saeed and charge him for his crimes, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistan’s global reputation," it added.

US warns of 'repercussions' for Pakistan over freeing Hafiz Saeed

<p>Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has &quot;blood on his hands&quot;, and wants to bring extremism into the mainstream politics of Pakistan, a former top American spymaster said on Saturday.</p>

<p>The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) head and LeT founder, who has a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, was freed by Pakistan yesterday.</p>

<p>&quot;Saeed is a terrorist. Worked with the LeT, a Kashmiri militant group, and al-Qaida on attacks,&quot; Michael Morell, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) deputy director, who has also served twice as its acting director, said in a tweet.</p>

<p>Saeed, in his late 60s, was under house arrest for 297 days since January.</p>

<p>The fire-brand cleric&#39;s release after&nbsp;midnight&nbsp;came ahead of the 9th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.</p>

<p>A deeply concerned US has asked the Pakistan government to re-arrest and charge Saeed for his crimes. It also asked Pakistan to ensure that the LeT leader is behind bars.</p>

<p>&quot;NO! JuD is NOT tied to Islamic State. What a rookie... Seriously. Hafiz Saeed&#39;s Release Completes the Political Mainstreaming of Jihadists in Pakistan,&quot; tweeted Christine Fair, a well-known South Asian expert on terrorist groups.</p>

<p>NBC news said Saeed&#39;s release could once again sour US relations with Pakistan.</p>

<p>The New York Times said, for decades, Pakistan has cast a benign eye on groups like LeT which is perceived as an asset because its attacks target Indian soldiers in Kashmir even as the government battles jihadist groups like the Pakistan Taliban that directly threatens the country.</p>

<p>&quot;But despite its pressure on Pakistan to move against militants like Saeed, the United States has also sent mixed messages. Just a month ago, the United States Senate struck down a provision tying American government funding to Pakistan to the country&#39;s efforts to curb Lashkar-e-Taiba&#39;s operations.</p>

<p>&quot;The provision, part of a broader Pentagon-funding legislation that Congress introduced this past summer, would have forced the secretary of defence to certify that Islamabad was thwarting Lashkar-e-Taiba&#39;s activities inside Pakistan or risk $350 million in American assistance,&quot; the Times wrote.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, in an op-ed, The Washington Examiner said the Trump administration &quot;should work with India&quot; to &quot;capture or kill&quot; Saeed.</p>

<p>&quot;Trump should call Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and offer to work with him to capture or kill Saeed,&quot; the daily said, adding that Saeed intends to lead a new Muslim theocratic political bloc in next year&#39;s parliamentary polls.</p>

<p>&quot;Although Pakistan&#39;s electoral commission has refused to certify the bloc, Saeed&#39;s populist power should not be understated. Charismatic and determined, if left unchecked in his political party or terrorist activities, Saeed could destabilise the region,&quot; the daily added.</p>

<p>The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai terror attack.</p>


Additionally, an expert on terrorist group, said, 'Hafiz Saeed's release completes the political mainstreaming of jihadists in Pakistan'

Mumbai attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has "blood on his hands", and wants to bring extremism into the mainstream politics of Pakistan, a former top American spymaster said on Saturday. The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) head and LeT founder, who has a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, was freed by Pakistan yesterday. "Saeed is a terrorist. Worked with the LeT, a Kashmiri militant group, and al-Qaida on attacks," Michael Morell, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) deputy director, who has also served twice as its acting director, said in a tweet. Saeed, in his late 60s, was under house arrest for 297 days since January. The fire-brand cleric's release after midnight came ahead of the 9th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed. A deeply concerned US has asked the Pakistan government to re-arrest and charge Saeed for his crimes. It also asked Pakistan to ensure that the LeT leader is behind bars. "NO! JuD is NOT tied to Islamic State. What a rookie... Seriously. Hafiz Saeed's Release Completes the Political Mainstreaming of Jihadists in Pakistan," tweeted Christine Fair, a well-known South Asian expert on terrorist groups. NBC news said Saeed's release could once again sour US relations with Pakistan. The New York Times said, for decades, Pakistan has cast a benign eye on groups like LeT which is perceived as an asset because its attacks target Indian soldiers in Kashmir even as the government battles jihadist groups like the Pakistan Taliban that directly threatens the country. "But despite its pressure on Pakistan to move against militants like Saeed, the United States has also sent mixed messages. Just a month ago, the United States Senate struck down a provision tying American government funding to Pakistan to the country's efforts to curb Lashkar-e-Taiba's operations. "The provision, part of a broader Pentagon-funding legislation that Congress introduced this past summer, would have forced the secretary of defence to certify that Islamabad was thwarting Lashkar-e-Taiba's activities inside Pakistan or risk $350 million in American assistance," the Times wrote. Meanwhile, in an op-ed, The Washington Examiner said the Trump administration "should work with India" to "capture or kill" Saeed. "Trump should call Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and offer to work with him to capture or kill Saeed," the daily said, adding that Saeed intends to lead a new Muslim theocratic political bloc in next year's parliamentary polls. "Although Pakistan's electoral commission has refused to certify the bloc, Saeed's populist power should not be understated. Charismatic and determined, if left unchecked in his political party or terrorist activities, Saeed could destabilise the region," the daily added. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai terror attack.

Hafiz Saeed a terrorist, Trump should work with Modi to kill him: US media

<p>Pakistan has justified the release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, claiming that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)&nbsp;sanctions regime on terrorists.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hafiz Saeed,&nbsp;who was freed by Pakistan on&nbsp;November&nbsp;24, is the&nbsp;founder of the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba and the head of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah. He has&nbsp;10 million dollars of American bounty on his head for terror activities and is also a UN and US-designated terrorist.</p>

<p>Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that Pakistan was committed to the implementation of UNSC 1267 sanctions regime and has taken several steps in this regard while responding to the comments made by the MEA.</p>

<p>&quot;The (MEA) spokesperson took exception to self-serving insinuations,&quot; Faisal said in a statement issued late last night.</p>

<p>Faisal said that courts in Pakistan, pursuant to their constitutional duty, were determined to uphold rule of law and due process for all citizens of Pakistan.</p>

<p>Legal processes were anchored in rule of law, not dictates of politics and posturing, he added.</p>

<p>&quot;It is in the interest of all States to speak and act in a manner that is consistent with the imperatives of adhering to rule of law at the national and international levels,&quot; Faisal said.</p>

<p>He said that Pakistan&#39;s resolve, actions, and successes in the fight against terrorism, terrorist violence and terrorists are unmatched in the world.</p>

<p>&quot;Pakistan condemns and opposes all forms of terrorism by any individual or group,&quot; Faisal further said.</p>

<p>&quot;Saeed&#39;s release confirmed once again the lack of seriousness by the Pakistan government in bringing to justice perpetrators of terrorism, including individuals and entities designated by the UN&quot;, said Raveesh Kumar, the spokesperson of Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;It also appears to be an attempt by the Pakistani system to mainstream proscribed terrorists. Pakistan has not changed its policy of shielding and supporting non-state actors and its true face is visible for all to see,&quot; the external affairs ministry spokesperson added.</p>

<p>Hafiz Saeed was under house arrest for 297 days since January.</p>

<p>Saeed&#39;s release after midnight came ahead of the 9th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.</p>

<p>(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Pakistan has justified the release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, claiming that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of UNSC sanctions regime on terrorists.?

Pakistan has justified the release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, claiming that Islamabad was committed to the implementation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions regime on terrorists. Hafiz Saeed, who was freed by Pakistan on November 24, is the founder of the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba and the head of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah. He has 10 million dollars of American bounty on his head for terror activities and is also a UN and US-designated terrorist. Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that Pakistan was committed to the implementation of UNSC 1267 sanctions regime and has taken several steps in this regard while responding to the comments made by the MEA. "The (MEA) spokesperson took exception to self-serving insinuations," Faisal said in a statement issued late last night. Faisal said that courts in Pakistan, pursuant to their constitutional duty, were determined to uphold rule of law and due process for all citizens of Pakistan. Legal processes were anchored in rule of law, not dictates of politics and posturing, he added. "It is in the interest of all States to speak and act in a manner that is consistent with the imperatives of adhering to rule of law at the national and international levels," Faisal said. He said that Pakistan's resolve, actions, and successes in the fight against terrorism, terrorist violence and terrorists are unmatched in the world. "Pakistan condemns and opposes all forms of terrorism by any individual or group," Faisal further said. "Saeed's release confirmed once again the lack of seriousness by the Pakistan government in bringing to justice perpetrators of terrorism, including individuals and entities designated by the UN", said Raveesh Kumar, the spokesperson of Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). "It also appears to be an attempt by the Pakistani system to mainstream proscribed terrorists. Pakistan has not changed its policy of shielding and supporting non-state actors and its true face is visible for all to see," the external affairs ministry spokesperson added. Hafiz Saeed was under house arrest for 297 days since January. Saeed's release after midnight came ahead of the 9th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed. (With inputs from PTI)

Pakistan justifies Hafiz Saeed's release

<p>Hafiz Saeed walks free; he vows to fight &#39;Kashmir cause&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India had her fair share of revolutionaries too who gave up their lives, fighting the oppressive colonial rule.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Hafiz Saeed is no revolutionary. Even if you empathise with the cause of the Kashmiri people, one cannot condone the brutality of Hafiz&#39;s actions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While nationalist revolutionaries, through the first half of the twentieth century, targetted notorious police officers and oppressive District Magistrates who served as the pillars of British rule in India, the types of Hafiz Saeed had been indiscriminate in their killings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He had been declared a &#39;global terrorist&#39; by the US following his role in the 2008 Mumbai attack. Sayeed has so far, however, denied his involvement. &nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The Kashmir crisis needs a constructive solution, and it will be wrong and foolhardy to give the control of the movement to someone who is not even part of the everyday struggle of a common Kashmiri.</h5>
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<p>Yesterday, the Pakistan government has released Saeed from house arrest after he announced a month of solidarity for Kashmiris in January. Saeed&#39;s release has provoked a strong reaction from India, who had been demanding his extradition for years now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I am not here to pass judgement as to whether supporting the Kashmiri cause is right or not. What I am trying to point out here is that people like Hafeez Sayeed if they want to fight for the &#39;Kashmir cause&#39;, they can&#39;t inhabit the safe haven of Pakistan and instigate the Kashmiri youths to violence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Kashmir crisis needs a constructive solution, and it will be wrong and foolhardy to give the control of the movement to someone who is not even part of the everyday struggle of a common Kashmiri. Hafeez coopting the movement would only increase senseless violence which is not going to give us a solution at the end of the day.</p>

<p>The Global Terrorism index states that over the past 15 years, South Asia experienced the most terrorist activity. Globally, attacks against civilians increased by 17 per cent from 2015 to 2016. India has not escaped this deadly trend. The primary targets of terrorists are private citizens and property.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>With 25, 673 deaths in 2016, the number of people dying from terrorism have now fallen by 22 per cent since the peak in 2014.</h5>
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<p>Before it is too late, we have to take steps whereby we can control the damaging effects of terrorism engulfing major parts of the world. Though deaths from terrorism have risen in tandem with battle-related deaths, deaths caused by terrorism decreased by 13 per cent from 2015 to 2016.&nbsp; With 25, 673 deaths in 2016, the number of people dying from terrorism have now fallen by 22 per cent since the peak in 2014. These figures hold some optimism for the future.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, while the intensity of terrorism in many countries has decreased, terrorism continues to spread to more countries. The average country score for the GTI, which measures the impact of terrorism, deteriorated by four per cent and reflects this spread of terrorism. There were 77 countries that experienced deaths from terrorism, which is an increase from 65 the previous year. Two-thirds of all countries experienced a terrorist attack in 2016.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hafiz Saeed and those similar to who does not seek a political solution to political crisis needs to be contained. Pakistan will do better understand this. In its bid to score a point against India, Pakistan will make a terrible mistake to let miscreants such as Hafiz Saeed go scot free.&nbsp;</p>

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The Global Terrorism index states that over the past 15 years, South Asia experienced the most terrorist activity.

Hafiz Saeed walks free; he vows to fight 'Kashmir cause'. India had her fair share of revolutionaries too who gave up their lives, fighting the oppressive colonial rule. But Hafiz Saeed is no revolutionary. Even if you empathise with the cause of the Kashmiri people, one cannot condone the brutality of Hafiz's actions. While nationalist revolutionaries, through the first half of the twentieth century, targetted notorious police officers and oppressive District Magistrates who served as the pillars of British rule in India, the types of Hafiz Saeed had been indiscriminate in their killings. He had been declared a 'global terrorist' by the US following his role in the 2008 Mumbai attack. Sayeed has so far, however, denied his involvement. The Kashmir crisis needs a constructive solution, and it will be wrong and foolhardy to give the control of the movement to someone who is not even part of the everyday struggle of a common Kashmiri. × Yesterday, the Pakistan government has released Saeed from house arrest after he announced a month of solidarity for Kashmiris in January. Saeed's release has provoked a strong reaction from India, who had been demanding his extradition for years now. I am not here to pass judgement as to whether supporting the Kashmiri cause is right or not. What I am trying to point out here is that people like Hafeez Sayeed if they want to fight for the 'Kashmir cause', they can't inhabit the safe haven of Pakistan and instigate the Kashmiri youths to violence. The Kashmir crisis needs a constructive solution, and it will be wrong and foolhardy to give the control of the movement to someone who is not even part of the everyday struggle of a common Kashmiri. Hafeez coopting the movement would only increase senseless violence which is not going to give us a solution at the end of the day. The Global Terrorism index states that over the past 15 years, South Asia experienced the most terrorist activity. Globally, attacks against civilians increased by 17 per cent from 2015 to 2016. India has not escaped this deadly trend. The primary targets of terrorists are private citizens and property. With 25, 673 deaths in 2016, the number of people dying from terrorism have now fallen by 22 per cent since the peak in 2014. × Before it is too late, we have to take steps whereby we can control the damaging effects of terrorism engulfing major parts of the world. Though deaths from terrorism have risen in tandem with battle-related deaths, deaths caused by terrorism decreased by 13 per cent from 2015 to 2016. With 25, 673 deaths in 2016, the number of people dying from terrorism have now fallen by 22 per cent since the peak in 2014. These figures hold some optimism for the future. However, while the intensity of terrorism in many countries has decreased, terrorism continues to spread to more countries. The average country score for the GTI, which measures the impact of terrorism, deteriorated by four per cent and reflects this spread of terrorism. There were 77 countries that experienced deaths from terrorism, which is an increase from 65 the previous year. Two-thirds of all countries experienced a terrorist attack in 2016. Hafiz Saeed and those similar to who does not seek a political solution to political crisis needs to be contained. Pakistan will do better understand this. In its bid to score a point against India, Pakistan will make a terrible mistake to let miscreants such as Hafiz Saeed go scot free.

Opinion: Pakistan fuels global terrorism in releasing Hafiz Saeed

<p>Mumbai attack mastermind and banned Jamaat- ud -Dawah (JuD)&nbsp;chief Hafiz Saeed on Friday&nbsp;walked free from house arrest and said he would gather people across Pakistan for the &quot;cause of Kashmir&quot; and try to help Kashmiris get their &quot;destination of freedom&quot;.</p>

<p>The JuD&nbsp;head, who carries a USD 10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities, was freed after the government decided against detaining him further in any case. He was under detention since January.</p>

<p>&quot;I was detained for 10 months only to stop my voice for Kashmir,&quot; Saeed told his supporters gathered outside his residence to celebrate his release.</p>

<p>&quot;I fight for the cause of Kashmiris. I will gather the people from across the country for the cause of Kashmir and we will try to help Kashmiris get their destination of freedom,&quot; he said upon his release.</p>

<p>Punjab province&#39;s Judicial Review Board comprising judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday unanimously ordered Saeed&#39;s release on the completion of his 30-day house arrest which expired last night.</p>

<p>Saeed said that he was detained when he announced a month of solidarity for Kashmiris in January.</p>

<p>Using the release order to buttress his claim of &quot;innocence&quot;, Saeed said: &quot;I am very happy that none of the allegations against me proved as three judges of the LHC ordered my release... India had levelled baseless allegations against me. The LHC&#39;s review board decision has proved that I am innocent&quot;.</p>

<p>The JuD chief said that the US, on India&#39;s request, pressured Pakistan to detain him.</p>

<p>&quot;I was detained on the pressure of the US on the Pakistani government. The US did so on the request of India,&quot; he claimed.</p>

<p>Several JuD supporters, gathered outside Saeed&#39;s house in Lahore&#39;s Jauhar town to celebrate his release, shouted anti- India slogans and described their leader as &quot;a hope for the Kashmiri people&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;We are happy to see our leader free. Hafiz sahib received his release order from the jail officials. Now he is a free man,&quot; JuD spokesman Ahmad Nadim said.</p>

<p>&quot;Saeed has been freed as the Punjab government decided not to detain him further in any other case,&quot; a top government official told.</p>

<p>He said that after a long deliberation, it has been decided to follow the review board&#39;s decision.</p>

<p>Saeed&#39;s release would invite strong criticism from India and the US, official sources said.</p>

<p>&quot;It remains to be seen as how would the PML-N government handle the foreign pressure to again detain Saeed,&quot; they said.</p>

<p>Punjab Assistant Advocate General Sattar Sahil said the government law officer had presented &quot;some important evidence&quot; to justify Saeed&#39;s detention, but all three members of the board unanimously rejected it and ordered his release.</p>

<p>On January 31, Saeed and his four aides Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain were detained by the Punjab government for 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and the Fourth Schedule of Anti- Terrorism Act 1997. The last two extensions were made on the &#39;public safety law&#39;.</p>

<p>The board refused to give further extension to the detention of Saeed&#39;s aides. They were set free last month.</p>

<p>According to the rules, the government could detain a person for up to three months under different charges, but for an extension, it needs approval from a judicial review board.</p>

<p>The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.</p>

<p>Saeed was put under house arrest after the Mumbai attack in November 2008 but he was freed by a court in 2009.</p>

<p>India has repeatedly asked Pakistan to re-investigate the Mumbai terror attack case and demanded trial of Saeed and LeT operations commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi in the light of the evidence it had provided to Islamabad.</p>

<p>Ten LeT militants had killed 166 people and wounded dozens in Mumbai in November 2008. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and executed after a court found him guilty.</p>

<p>Saeed was declared a global terrorist by the US and the UN after the Mumbai attack.</p>


The JuD?head, who carries a USD 10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities, was freed after the government decided against detaining him further in any case. He was under detention since January.

Mumbai attack mastermind and banned Jamaat- ud -Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed on Friday walked free from house arrest and said he would gather people across Pakistan for the "cause of Kashmir" and try to help Kashmiris get their "destination of freedom". The JuD head, who carries a USD 10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities, was freed after the government decided against detaining him further in any case. He was under detention since January. "I was detained for 10 months only to stop my voice for Kashmir," Saeed told his supporters gathered outside his residence to celebrate his release. "I fight for the cause of Kashmiris. I will gather the people from across the country for the cause of Kashmir and we will try to help Kashmiris get their destination of freedom," he said upon his release. Punjab province's Judicial Review Board comprising judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday unanimously ordered Saeed's release on the completion of his 30-day house arrest which expired last night. Saeed said that he was detained when he announced a month of solidarity for Kashmiris in January. Using the release order to buttress his claim of "innocence", Saeed said: "I am very happy that none of the allegations against me proved as three judges of the LHC ordered my release... India had levelled baseless allegations against me. The LHC's review board decision has proved that I am innocent". The JuD chief said that the US, on India's request, pressured Pakistan to detain him. "I was detained on the pressure of the US on the Pakistani government. The US did so on the request of India," he claimed. Several JuD supporters, gathered outside Saeed's house in Lahore's Jauhar town to celebrate his release, shouted anti- India slogans and described their leader as "a hope for the Kashmiri people". "We are happy to see our leader free. Hafiz sahib received his release order from the jail officials. Now he is a free man," JuD spokesman Ahmad Nadim said. "Saeed has been freed as the Punjab government decided not to detain him further in any other case," a top government official told. He said that after a long deliberation, it has been decided to follow the review board's decision. Saeed's release would invite strong criticism from India and the US, official sources said. "It remains to be seen as how would the PML-N government handle the foreign pressure to again detain Saeed," they said. Punjab Assistant Advocate General Sattar Sahil said the government law officer had presented "some important evidence" to justify Saeed's detention, but all three members of the board unanimously rejected it and ordered his release. On January 31, Saeed and his four aides Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain were detained by the Punjab government for 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and the Fourth Schedule of Anti- Terrorism Act 1997. The last two extensions were made on the 'public safety law'. The board refused to give further extension to the detention of Saeed's aides. They were set free last month. According to the rules, the government could detain a person for up to three months under different charges, but for an extension, it needs approval from a judicial review board. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed. Saeed was put under house arrest after the Mumbai attack in November 2008 but he was freed by a court in 2009. India has repeatedly asked Pakistan to re-investigate the Mumbai terror attack case and demanded trial of Saeed and LeT operations commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi in the light of the evidence it had provided to Islamabad. Ten LeT militants had killed 166 people and wounded dozens in Mumbai in November 2008. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and executed after a court found him guilty. Saeed was declared a global terrorist by the US and the UN after the Mumbai attack.

Hafiz Saeed walks free; vows to fight for 'Kashmir cause'

<p>India on Thursday condemned the decision of a Pakistan court to release from house arrest Islamist leader Hafiz Saeed, accused of masterminding attacks on Mumbai in 2008 in which 166 people were killed.</p>

<p>Saeed, co-founder of dreaded militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a banned organisation in both India and the United States (US), was put under house arrest in January after years of living freely in Pakistan, one of the sore points in its fraying relationship with the US and India.</p>

<p>Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said that the country is outraged that a self-confessed and a United Nations proscribed terrorist was allowed to walk free and continue with his evil agenda while adding that it showcases Pakistan&#39;s &#39;lack of seriousness&#39; in handling issues concerning militancy on its soil.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, anti-Pakistan protest erupted in parts of India to protest the release of Saeed.</p>

<p>India accused Pakistan of sponsoring the attacks through the LeT, which Saeed founded in the 1990s.</p>

<p>Pakistan has denied any state involvement in the attack. It placed the LeT on a list of banned organizations in 2002.</p>

<p><strong>Pakistan frees Hafiz Saeed</strong></p>

<p>A Pakistani court Wednesday ordered the release of one of the alleged masterminds of the 2008 Mumbai attacks which killed more than 160 people, after months of US pressure on Islamabad over its alleged support for militants.</p>

<p>Firebrand cleric Hafiz Saeed, who heads the UN-listed terrorist group Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and has a $10 million US bounty on his head, will be freed tomorrow after less than a year in detention following the decision by the Lahore High Court, a JuD official said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The review board looking into the case... has refused to extend his house arrest as the government failed to provide any evidence against the charges,&quot; a spokesman for the party, Ahmed Nadeen said.</p>

<p>The horror of the Mumbai carnage played out on live television around the world as commandos battled the heavily armed gunmen, who arrived by sea on the evening of November 26, 2008.</p>

<p>It took the authorities three days to regain full control of the city.&nbsp;</p>

<p>JuD, which has operated freely across Pakistan and is popular for its charity work, is considered by the US and India to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the militant group blamed for the attack on India&#39;s financial capital.&nbsp;</p>

<p>New Delhi has long seethed at Pakistan&#39;s failure either to hand over or prosecute those accused of planning the attacks, while Islamabad has alleged that India failed to give it crucial evidence.</p>

<p>India has also said there is proof that &quot;official agencies&quot; in Pakistan were involved in plotting the attack -- a charge Islamabad denies.</p>

<p>Analyst and retired Pakistani general Talat Masood told AFP that Saeed is given special treatment by the government &quot;because they think that his organisation was supportive in Kashmir&quot;, the disputed Himalayan territory over which India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars.</p>

<p>Saeed said later in a video message that he was detained because of his association with Kashmir.</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s because of Kashmir that India is after me, but all her efforts have been in vain and Allah has set me free,&quot; he said in the video released by his party&#39;s media team.</p>

<p>&quot;This is a victory for Pakistan&#39;s freedom and God willing Kashmir will also be freed because I&#39;m fighting Kashmir&#39;s case,&quot; Saeed added.</p>

<p>India blames Pakistan for sending militant groups, including LeT, to foment unrest in the part of Kashmir controlled by New Delhi.</p>

<p>However, Masood said the government could seek new reasons to detain Saeed to avoid more international pressure, particularly from Washington, which has been pressuring Pakistan for months over its alleged support for militants including the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>US President Donald Trump in August accused Pakistan of harbouring &quot;agents of chaos&quot;, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month that the Washington has made &quot;very specific&quot; requests of Pakistan over militancy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US has also made several overtures to Pakistan&#39;s arch-enemy India for closer ties.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following a brief period of house arrest in 2008, Saeed led a high-profile public life and regularly delivered fiery anti-India speeches.</p>

<p>He was placed under house arrest once more in January this year following years of foreign pressure, prompting demonstrations in several Pakistani cities.</p>

<p>Masood said that his release could see him participate in a general election set to be held sometime next year, adding that if he won a seat in the national assembly that could be &quot;very embarrassing internationally&quot;.</p>

<p>(With AFP inputs)&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said that the country is outraged that a self-confessed and a United Nations proscribed terrorist was allowed to walk free and continue with his evil agenda

India on Thursday condemned the decision of a Pakistan court to release from house arrest Islamist leader Hafiz Saeed, accused of masterminding attacks on Mumbai in 2008 in which 166 people were killed. Saeed, co-founder of dreaded militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a banned organisation in both India and the United States (US), was put under house arrest in January after years of living freely in Pakistan, one of the sore points in its fraying relationship with the US and India. Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said that the country is outraged that a self-confessed and a United Nations proscribed terrorist was allowed to walk free and continue with his evil agenda while adding that it showcases Pakistan's 'lack of seriousness' in handling issues concerning militancy on its soil. Meanwhile, anti-Pakistan protest erupted in parts of India to protest the release of Saeed. India accused Pakistan of sponsoring the attacks through the LeT, which Saeed founded in the 1990s. Pakistan has denied any state involvement in the attack. It placed the LeT on a list of banned organizations in 2002. Pakistan frees Hafiz Saeed A Pakistani court Wednesday ordered the release of one of the alleged masterminds of the 2008 Mumbai attacks which killed more than 160 people, after months of US pressure on Islamabad over its alleged support for militants. Firebrand cleric Hafiz Saeed, who heads the UN-listed terrorist group Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and has a $10 million US bounty on his head, will be freed tomorrow after less than a year in detention following the decision by the Lahore High Court, a JuD official said. "The review board looking into the case... has refused to extend his house arrest as the government failed to provide any evidence against the charges," a spokesman for the party, Ahmed Nadeen said. The horror of the Mumbai carnage played out on live television around the world as commandos battled the heavily armed gunmen, who arrived by sea on the evening of November 26, 2008. It took the authorities three days to regain full control of the city. JuD, which has operated freely across Pakistan and is popular for its charity work, is considered by the US and India to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the militant group blamed for the attack on India's financial capital. New Delhi has long seethed at Pakistan's failure either to hand over or prosecute those accused of planning the attacks, while Islamabad has alleged that India failed to give it crucial evidence. India has also said there is proof that "official agencies" in Pakistan were involved in plotting the attack -- a charge Islamabad denies. Analyst and retired Pakistani general Talat Masood told AFP that Saeed is given special treatment by the government "because they think that his organisation was supportive in Kashmir", the disputed Himalayan territory over which India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars. Saeed said later in a video message that he was detained because of his association with Kashmir. "It's because of Kashmir that India is after me, but all her efforts have been in vain and Allah has set me free," he said in the video released by his party's media team. "This is a victory for Pakistan's freedom and God willing Kashmir will also be freed because I'm fighting Kashmir's case," Saeed added. India blames Pakistan for sending militant groups, including LeT, to foment unrest in the part of Kashmir controlled by New Delhi. However, Masood said the government could seek new reasons to detain Saeed to avoid more international pressure, particularly from Washington, which has been pressuring Pakistan for months over its alleged support for militants including the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan. US President Donald Trump in August accused Pakistan of harbouring "agents of chaos", and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month that the Washington has made "very specific" requests of Pakistan over militancy. The US has also made several overtures to Pakistan's arch-enemy India for closer ties. Following a brief period of house arrest in 2008, Saeed led a high-profile public life and regularly delivered fiery anti-India speeches. He was placed under house arrest once more in January this year following years of foreign pressure, prompting demonstrations in several Pakistani cities. Masood said that his release could see him participate in a general election set to be held sometime next year, adding that if he won a seat in the national assembly that could be "very embarrassing internationally". (With AFP inputs)

India condemns release of Mumbai terror attack 'mastermind' Hafiz Saeed

<p>As<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-walks-free-vows-to-fight-for-kashmir-cause-24988"> Lashkar-e-Tayyiba(LeT) leader Hafiz Saeed </a>walked free on Friday after being released from house arrest in Pakistan, the Trump administration said the Pakistan government &quot;should make sure that he is arrested and charged for his crimes&quot;.</p>

<p>The US government had designated <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-gravitas-india-expresses-outrage-at-hafiz-saeeds-release-6914">Saeed a &quot;global terrorist&quot; </a>under an executive order in 2012. The UN had also individually designated the LeT chief a &quot;terrorist&quot;&nbsp;under UNSCR 1267 in December 2008, following the November 2008 Mumbai attack in which six American citizens were killed.</p>

<p>The United States said it was &quot;deeply concerned&quot; that LeT leader Hafiz Seed had been released from house arrest in Pakistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2012, the United States had offered $10 million&lrm; reward for information leading to the arrest of Hafiz Saeed.</p>

<p>LeT and several of its front organizations including its leaders remain under US State Department and Treasury Department sanctions.</p>


The United States said it was "deeply concerned" that LeT leader Hafiz Seed had been released from house arrest in Pakistan.?

As Lashkar-e-Tayyiba(LeT) leader Hafiz Saeed walked free on Friday after being released from house arrest in Pakistan, the Trump administration said the Pakistan government "should make sure that he is arrested and charged for his crimes". The US government had designated Saeed a "global terrorist" under an executive order in 2012. The UN had also individually designated the LeT chief a "terrorist" under UNSCR 1267 in December 2008, following the November 2008 Mumbai attack in which six American citizens were killed. The United States said it was "deeply concerned" that LeT leader Hafiz Seed had been released from house arrest in Pakistan. In 2012, the United States had offered $10 million‎ reward for information leading to the arrest of Hafiz Saeed. LeT and several of its front organizations including its leaders remain under US State Department and Treasury Department sanctions.

Pakistan should ensure Hafiz Saeed is arrested: US

<p>US today reminded <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeed-released-no-longer-under-house-arrest-in-pakistan-24840">Pakistan that Hafiz Saeed is a &quot;designated</a> global terrorist&quot;&nbsp;by the United Nations, just hours after a Pakistan Judicial Review Board in Punjab refused to extend the detention of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief.</p>

<p>&quot;The US is aware of media reports that Pakistan court ordered release of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-if-pakistan-army-wants-nothing-can-stop-hafiz-saeed-from-being-a-free-man-24881"> Hafiz Saeed from house arrest</a>,&quot; a State Department spokesperson told PTI.</p>

<p>In May 2008, the United States had designated Saeed as a &quot;Specially Designated Global Terrorist&quot; under Executive Order 13224.</p>

<p>India has accused Hafiz Saeed of masterminding the Mumbai attack in November 2008 and the 2001 Parliament attack in Delhi.</p>

<p>&quot;The US reiterates its stance that LeT is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks, including a number of American citizens,&quot; the spokesperson told PTI.</p>

<p>The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which India accuses of carrying out terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir, including the&nbsp;Mumbai attack on November 26th, 2008.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;LeT and several of its front organisations, leaders, and operatives remain under both State Department and Treasury Department sanctions,&quot; the official added.</p>

<p>On January 31, Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were detained by the Punjab government for 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and the Fourth Schedule of Anti-terrorism Act 1997.</p>

<p>However, Saeed&#39;s four aides were set free last month. Pakistan&#39;s review board had allowed 30-day extension for Saeed last month.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Pakistan government has reportedly told a judicial body that the country could face international sanctions if Jamaat leader Hafiz Sayeed is released from house arrest.</p>

<p>&quot;We plead the board not to order the release of Saeed as Pakistan may face international sanctions,&quot; the Pakistan government official had requested the judicial board.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mrcbcvswtBw" width="560"></iframe><br />
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In May 2008, the United States had designated Saeed as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" under Executive Order 13224.

US today reminded Pakistan that Hafiz Saeed is a "designated global terrorist" by the United Nations, just hours after a Pakistan Judicial Review Board in Punjab refused to extend the detention of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief. "The US is aware of media reports that Pakistan court ordered release of Hafiz Saeed from house arrest," a State Department spokesperson told PTI. In May 2008, the United States had designated Saeed as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" under Executive Order 13224. India has accused Hafiz Saeed of masterminding the Mumbai attack in November 2008 and the 2001 Parliament attack in Delhi. "The US reiterates its stance that LeT is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks, including a number of American citizens," the spokesperson told PTI. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which India accuses of carrying out terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir, including the Mumbai attack on November 26th, 2008. "LeT and several of its front organisations, leaders, and operatives remain under both State Department and Treasury Department sanctions," the official added. On January 31, Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were detained by the Punjab government for 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and the Fourth Schedule of Anti-terrorism Act 1997. However, Saeed's four aides were set free last month. Pakistan's review board had allowed 30-day extension for Saeed last month. The Pakistan government has reportedly told a judicial body that the country could face international sanctions if Jamaat leader Hafiz Sayeed is released from house arrest. "We plead the board not to order the release of Saeed as Pakistan may face international sanctions," the Pakistan government official had requested the judicial board.

Hafiz Saeed 'designated global terrorist', US reminds Pakistan

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