The United States (US) State Department on Tuesday expressed
concern over Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed running for
office in the upcoming General Election.
US State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert, in a daily press briefing, called Saeed the "mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks",
and said that the US "would certainly have concerns about him running
for office," while referring to the rise of the Milli Muslim League
(MML), a political party backed by Saeed which is a front for the JuD.
Saeed,
who was recently set free from a 300-day-long house arrest, has been
repeatedly accused by the US and India of masterminding the 2008 attacks
on the Indian financial capital Mumbai that killed 166 people.
In
2012, the US announced a bounty of $10 million for Saeed over his
alleged role in the attack in which six American citizens were also
killed.
He, however, has repeatedly denied involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
While
emphasising on the US's concerns regarding Saeed, Nauert added: "I want
to remind folks we have a $10 million Reward for Justice program... for
information that would bring him (Saeed) to justice. So I want to make
that clear so that everybody knows, $10 million out for this guy."
While
answering a question regarding Pakistan's decision to set Saeed free,
Nauert said, "I would imagine that if we had any intelligence (that
would help Pakistan take action against Saeed) and that’s not an area
that I can discuss, anyway – but we would certainly share it with the
Pakistanis on that front. I hope they’ll do the right thing."
On
January 1, 2017, the Punjab government had issued orders to place Saeed
under house arrest; the JuD chief had been detained under Section
11-EEE(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1977. The JuD leader had walked free after about 300-day house arrest after his latest 30-day detention expired on November 23.
