'No case against Hafiz Saeed Sahib': Pakistan PM
What's the story
In a shocking turn of events, Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told, in a television interview, that action cannot be taken against the alleged mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Hafiz Saeed as no case was registered against him in Pakistan. "Action is taken when there is a case registered," Abbasi said when questioned about Saaed who was recently released from house arrest.
Background
First off, who is Hafiz Saeed?
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is a United Nations designated terrorist operating from Pakistan. Although he claims otherwise, he is allegedly the co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and now heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, both of which are declared terrorist organisations by the US. The United States declared a bounty of $10 million on Saeed in April 2012 for his alleged involvement in the Mumbai Terror attacks of 2008.
Background
Hafiz Saeed's release had sparked outrage in US and India
Saeed, who was under house-arrest in Pakistan since January 2016, was released by the Lahore High Court in November 2017 on grounds that Islamabad maintained the UN Security Council 1297 sanctions. His release was condemned by India and the US alike as Pakistan was accused of propagating terrorism. The US had expressed "deep concerns" and warned Pakistan of serious repercussions for upholding his release.
Information
Ironically, Hafiz Saeed now decides to contest elections
In December 2017, a few days after his release, Hafiz Saeed declared that he would contest the 2018 Pakistan Elections. He said that he would be contesting for the National Assembly from the Milli Muslim League (MML) party.
Details
Meanwhile, Abbasi said "No war with India"
Shahid Abbasi also discredited the possibility of war with India. "We always said that the door for talks with India is open," he added. Regarding US-Pakistan relationship, Abbasi indicated that talks are underway with the US military especially after it hit a new low when Donald Trump's recent tweet said Pakistan offered "lies and deceit" in return for US aid.