JuD chief Saeed set free by Lahore High Court

M Zulqernain

Lahore, Jun 2 (PTI) In a setback to the 26/11 probe,
banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed who has been
under house arrest for nearly six months for his suspected
role in the Mumbai terror attacks, was Tuesday set free by the
Lahore High Court which held his detention as illegal.

A close aide of 59-year-old Saeed, Col (retd) Nazir
Mohammad, also held in connection with the November 26 attacks
in Mumbai, was freed alongwith Saeed.

In a brief order, a three-member bench of the High Court
said, "the court accepts the petition of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed
and Col (retd) Nazir Ahmed against their detention, which is
illegal. The court orders their immediate release." A detailed
order will be pronounced later.

JuD activists, who gathered at the court, began shouting
slogans in support of Saeed following the order. A JuD
spokesman hailed the verdict and said the organisation will
continue its "relief activities".

Saeed was put under house arrest on December 11 last
year after the UN Security Council banned JUD, declaring it a
front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is blamed by India for the
Mumbai attacks that left 160 people dead.

JuD chief's counsel A K Dogar contended that there was no
evidence of Saeed's involvement and that his detention
violated Pakistan's constitution and laws.

Saeed vowed to continue his struggle against what he
described as the "India occupation" of J and K.

Denying any involvement of JuD in the Mumbai attacks,
Saeed told a press conference held at a mosque in his hometown
that his detention was a "conspiracy" against Pakistan.

The JuD chief claimed that the Indian government had not
been able to provide any evidence to back its contention that
the JuD was linked to the Mumbai strikes.

Saeed's house was declared a sub-jail during his
detention. "We will provide security to Saeed if we are asked
by our high-ups," SSP (Operations) Shafiq Ahmed told PTI.

Dogar, who shouted slogans like 'Allah-o-Akbar' (God is
great) along with Saeed's supporters after emerging from the
court, said the JuD chief had been detained on December 11
last year without any valid grounds or reasons.

He asked why the Pakistan government had implemented
the UN Security Council's resolution against the JuD when
India had not acted on resolutions on the Kashmir issue.

The Deputy Attorney General of the federal government and
the Advocate General of Punjab province rebutted Dogar's
arguments.

The Advocate General said it was binding on Pakistan to
implement Security Council resolutions as the country was a
signatory to the UN Charter.

During an earlier hearing of Saeed's petition, Pakistan
had for the first time admitted that JuD had links with
al-Qaeda.

"Under the Pakistan Constitution, a detenu has to be
given grounds for his arrest within 15 days. If it is not
done, the detention is malicious and void," Dogar contended.

After the court verdict, an official of the Prison
Department said that "we will withdraw our personnel (from JuD
chief's house in Johar Town of Lahore) after receiving the
order for Saeed's release."

Saeed's house was declared a sub-jail during his
detention. "We will provide security to Saeed if we are asked
by our high-ups," SSP (Operations) Shafiq Ahmed told PTI.

Dogar, who shouted slogans like 'Allah-o-Akbar' (God is
great) along with Saeed's supporters after emerging from the
court, said the JuD chief had been detained on December 11
last year without any valid grounds or reasons. Saeed's house
arrest was subsequently extended for "some vague" reasons, he
claimed.

He questioned why the Pakistan government had
implemented the UN Security Council's resolution against the
JuD when India had not acted on resolutions on the Kashmir
issue.

During an earlier hearing of Saeed's petition, Pakistan
had for the first time admitted that JuD had links with
al-Qaeda.

Saeed and several other JuD leaders were placed under
house arrest in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks but
most of them were subsequently freed. PTI MZ