In the latest development, Punjab government in Pakistan has withdrawn house detention application for Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, as per a tweet by Republic TV. Hafiz Saeed, who is a UN designated terrorist, has been under house-arrest. Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has warned that Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s house arrest will be set aside if the Pakistan government does not submit evidence against him. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and his four aides were placed under house arrest in January, this year, under the Anti-Terrorism Act. However, the Punjab government in Pakistan hasn’t been pretty active with the case. During a previous hearing, the Interior Secretary who was expected to bring the documents related to Saeed’s detention failed to appear before the court, as per a report by NDTV. Irked by the Secretary’s absence, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi said, “No one could be detained for a long time merely on the basis of newspaper clippings.”
The state has not able to produce sufficient evidence against Hafiz Saeed in front to of the court. With Punjab government withdrawing application for detention, Hafiz can walk free. However, it must be noted that the Punjab home department stated in a report submitted in connection with the petition filed by the JuD chief against his detention that if he was released, his activities would pose a serious threat to public safety and public order, as per a report by NDTV.