The United States has again expressed its concern on the free movement of wanted terrorist Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan. “We are concerned about the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks. And he’s a Lashkar-e-Taiba guy who was being held in Pakistan, and he was eventually let out on house arrest, and we have a reward out for. I believe it’s for his arrest, not information leading to his arrest, but his arrest. I don’t recall off the top of my head the award amount, but that person out in the open is a tremendous concern to the United States,” Heather Nauert, spokesperson of US State Department said.
She was responding to a question on the recent remarks made by former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Pakistan’s role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Nawaz Sharif had said that militant organizations are active in the country. “Militant organizations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can’t we complete the trail?” he said.
Hafiz Saeed was released from a 10-month-long house arrest by a Pakistani court in November 2017.
While underlining the growing ties between India and the US, the State Department spokesperson also said that the US has a very strong relationship with Prime Minister Modi’s government. “We have strong people-to-people ties.”
US has already declared Saeed’s political front, Milli Muslim League, and JUD as Foreign terrorist organizations.
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were carried out by Pakistan based terrorist group, Lashkar-e-taiba. The attacks lasted for four days across Mumbai, India’s financial capital. Many foreign nationals were among those dead.
