Pakistani establishment trying to mainstream Hafiz Saeed: India

A day after a court in Pakistan ordered that the country's Election Commission hear the case for registration of the political party of Hafiz Saeed ahead of elections this year, India on Friday expressed shock and said that it was an attempt by the Pakistani establishment to mainstream the Mumbai terror attacks mastermind.

"I think it is a very shocking development which completely exposes Pakistan's duplicity in taking action against terrorists and terror groups which are operating from Pakistani soil," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in his weekly media briefing here. 

"He is a UN-proscribed terrorist. He is the prime organiser of Mumbai terror attacks. He has blood on his hands of not only innocent Indian citizens, but from many other countries across the world," Kumar said. 

The Islamabad High Court on Thursday set aside the Election Commission of Pakistan's decision to reject the application of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah's political front Milli Muslim league for registration as a political party.

The decision came just days after another Pakistani court extended a stay against the possible arrest of Saeed till April 4.

Stating that Saeed was also responsible for unleashing acts of terror on people in other neighbouring countries as well apart from India, Kumar said: "Pakistan is mandated under UN law to take action against Hafiz Saeed. But instead, I think, the developments which we see coming out of Pakistan, it seems that this is an attempt by the Pakistani establishment to mainstream him, to mainstream his system as a political party." 

He said that "it is a way of shielding what he used to do earlier, the activities he was engaged in". 

"But I think the true face of Hafiz Saeed and the true face of Pakistan is for all to see. Not only India, but the international community feels that the action which should be taken against Hafiz Saeed has not been taken," the spokesperson said.