Hafeez Sayeed appeals UN his name to be removed from global terrorist list
LAHORE: Mumbai attacks mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition in the UN seeking removal of his name from the list of designated terrorists on the ground that none of the allegations against him, either related to terrorism or otherwise, has been proved in the Pakistani courts.
The banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) head, who carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, walked free on Friday after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under house arrest since January this year. Lahore-based law firm—Mirza and Mirza Law Associates—has filed the petition on behalf of Saeed in the UN.
Pakistan Supreme Court Advocate Navid Rasul Mirza, the owner of this law firm, told Indian News Agency PTI today that my law firm has filed the petition on Hafiz Saeed’s behalf at the UN seeking removal of his name from its list of designated terrorists. My son Haider Rasul who is director of this firm is looking after this case,” he said.
Saeed was designated as a global terrorist by the UN under the Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008, following the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in which 164 people, including six Americans, were killed. He carried a bounty of $10 million on his head for terror activities. Last week, he was freed by Pakistan after being under house arrest for 297 days.His release was met with global outcry.
Expressing outrage on his release, the Ministry of External Affairs said, “India, as indeed the entire International community, is outraged that a self-confessed and a UN proscribed terrorist is being allowed to walk free and continue with his evil agenda.”
The White House too condemned his release, calling for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution. The US further said there will be repercussions for US-Pakistan relations unless Islamabad took action to detain and charge Saeed.
“(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,” said the White House in a statement.
With Agency Inputs
