A Pakistani court today ordered quashing of two cases under an anti-terrorism law against JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed, blamed by India for masterminding 26/11 attacks. The Court said he could not be charged under the act as his outfit is not banned in the country.A two-judge bench of the Lahore High Court issued the order in response to a petition filed by Saeed last month in which he had challenged two First Information Reports registered against him by police in Faisalabad city of Punjab province under the Anti-Terrorism Act.Police had booked him for allegedly inciting people to wage 'jehad' against infidels and seeking funds for the JuD during speeches he made in Faisalabad in August.However, Justices Asif Saeed Khosa and Najamuz Zaman pointed out that since the JuD had not been included in the list of banned organisations under the first schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, Saeed could not be charged under the law. The court admitted Saeed's petition and ordered the quashing of the two FIRs.During the hearing, the counsel for the Punjab government acknowledged that the JuD was not in the list of banned terrorist groups. He said the JuD was only included in the government's watch list after the UN Security Council declared it a terrorist organization last year.India today said that it will take up the issue with Pakistan the quashing of terror cases against Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed . Maintaining that Pakistan must investigate Saeed in the Mumbai attack case, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said India had provided evidence about his being the brain behind the strike but he was not booked in that case. Expressing surprise at the latest development, Mr. Krishna said that the talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi were on this line that formal investigation will conducted against Hafiz Saeed with reference to Mumbai.Mr. Krishna said that India would still insist that the Pakistan Government must investigate Hafiz Saeed for the role he played in the Mumbai terror attack.Congress today termed quashing of two cases against JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed by a Pakistani court as serious development saying the international community should take note of it. Party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said that the development means that Pakistani authorities did not present properly the evidence given by India against Saeed in the court.Meanwhile, the BJP has alleged that the Pakistan court order quashing cases against Hafiz Saeed is a big setback to India's efforts to bring him to justice and proof that Pakistan does not want to act against those behind the attack.BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said India should ensure that either Pakistan hand over the 26/11 accused or take action against them. He said Pakistan is trying to bury the case and falsify the truth.
News On AIR | October 12, 2009 11:37 PM
Pak court dismisses cases against 26/11 mastermind Saeed