Concerned over reports that lashkar-e-Tayyeba founder and Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed plans to contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan, the United States is nudging Islamabad to “do the right thing” in dealing with the man who carries a $10 million US bounty on his head.
“Hope that they will do the right thing,” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters on Wednesday, as she sought to “remind folks across Pakistan we have a $10 million reward for this guy” who was set free from house arrest on November 24.
Nauert's comments came in the wake of reports from Pakistan that Saeed plans to contest elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim league, a political front of his Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which itself was floated as a charitable front for leT years ago after the terror outfit was designated by the United Nations as well.
Quizzed about Saeed roaming freely in disregard of US warning of “repercussions” if Pakistan did not re-arrest and prosecute him, Nauert spoke of the “many conversations” that Washington has had with Islamabad on the issue, but declined to comment on the likely implications of defiance of its strong warning last month.
Stating that the Saeed-founded leT is a terror outfit that the United States designated years ago, Nauert said that since Pakistani authorities released him last month, there is now word that “he may be running for some sort of office”.
“I want to remind folks we have a $10 million Reward for Justice program that would reward for information that would bring him to justice. So I want to make that clear so that everybody knows, $10 million out for this guy, and we would certainly have concerns about him running for office,” Nauert said.
Asked about the Pakistan's assertions that it does not have enough evidence against Saeed, Nauert commented that it was “for a good reason” that the US designated leT as a foreign terror organization. Saying the US would certainly share any intelligence with Pakistan in connection with Saeed, Nauert added: “I hope they'll do the right thing.”
Pak Army chief backs 26/11 mastermind to raise Kashmir
Islamabad: Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday said Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief and the Mumbai attack (26/11) mastermind Hafiz Saeed can play an “active role” to resolve the Kashmir conflict, as every other citizen of Pakistan, reports ANI.
Speaking at “in-camera session” of the Senate Committee of the Whole in Islamabad, Bajwa while speaking on topics like counter-terrorism operations and foreign policy, said, “like every other Pakistani, Saeed can also take up the Kashmir cause.” His statement comes days after former Pakistan President and military dictator Pervez Musharraf called leT and JuD 'patriotic'and expressed his willingness to forge an alliance with them for the “safety and security” of Pakistan.