Hafiz Saeed’s release another setback to ties with Pakistan

Islamabad seems to have no interest in mending relations with India

The order to release Hafiz Saeed, a key Pakistani figure heading a leading anti-India terrorist outfit, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the progenitor of Lashkar- e-Tayyaba, from detention on Wednesday is likely to push India-Pakistan relations into deeper freeze. The terror mastermind has been in detention since January this year. But in this time his outfit has been allowed to set up a political party to enable it to contest elections. This is extraordinary for someone whose outfit is indubitably responsible for the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, which killed at least 166 persons. In light of that he was put on the UN list of international terrorists, and the US, separately, offered a $10 million reward for information on his whereabouts.

Even after the US reward was announced, the top terrorist conducted his activities in plain sight, including addressing public meetings. As regards the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, Pakistan has stonewalled every Indian effort — on the administrative and judicial plane — to have the perpetrators and their mentors brought to justice on the plea of sufficient evidence not being available to satisfy the Pakistani courts, which of course heeds only the ISI and the Pakistani military. This has ensured a travesty of justice. It is clear that no effort will be forthcoming from Islamabad to nab the anti-India terrorists. Islamabad seems to have no interest in mending ties and the release of Hafiz Saeed is just one more indicator.