After initially refusing to acknowledge him as a citizen and now refusing to reclaim the body of gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani lawmaker has said that Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, who is accused of masterminding the attacks, won’t be considered a terrorist until conclusive evidence is provided.
Hafiz Saeed. Pic courtesy IBNLive.
“Saeed is a Pakistani and comes under the country’s legal machinery like any other citizen. Pakistan is the biggest victim of terrorism in the world. But, no one can be labelled a terrorist unless there is evidence to prove it,” S Mahmood told CNN IBN.
Mahmood said that the Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief was a Pakistani citizen and could live in the country claiming all the rights he was eligible for.
Incidentally, the US has offered a reward for anyone who provides enough evidence that would allow for the prosecution of Saeed, who heads the organisation that claims to be a religious charity.
However, Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said that they will not relent in its demand for Saeed to face action for his role in the terror strikes that claimed over 160 lives.
“Pakistan has been handed a wish-list on the 26/11 trial with a note on Hafiz Saeed’s role and we will accept no compromise,” Khurshid said.
India will also continue to seek the release of its citizen Sarabjit, who is currently on death row in Pakistan, Khurshid said.
“The two cases of Sarabjit and Kasab are vastly different and India will continue to press Pakistan to set Sarabjit free,” he said.
