Pakistani court frees head of terrorist organization (Roundup)

Jun 2, 2009, 14:47 GMT

   Islamabad - Pakistani authorities on Tuesday released Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of an Islamic militant group accused of being behind last year's Mumbai terror attacks, after a court declared his house arrest as illegal.

   His attorney, A K Dogar, said a three-member bench of the Lahore High Court had lifted the restrictions on his movement.

   'The honourable judges ruled that his detention was illegal and unconstitutional, and therefore Hafiz Saeed and his aides should be released,' Dogar told reporters outside the courtroom.

   Saeed was put under house arrest on December 11 after New Delhi accused the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group he founded of being behind the November 26 attacks that claimed over 170 lives.

   Saeed also heads the Islamic charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) which was banned by United Nations as a terrorist organization and a political front for the LeT in December.

   Following the release, Saeed said the court ruling was a victory of 'justice and law.' According to Geo television he said the government tried to link him with al-Qaeda but the allegations were untrue.

   India expressed its disappointment over Saeed's release.

   'We are unhappy that Pakistan does not show the degree of seriousness and commitment that it should to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks,' India's Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters in New Delhi.

   Indian officials said that Pakistani authorities did not press strong charges against Saeed which resulted in the court setting him free.

   Indian authorities consider Saeed one of the terrorists most wanted by them.

   Besides being a key suspect in the Mumbai attacks, he was also named in the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001 and the 2006 Mumbai train bombings, which killed 186 people.

   But Saeed's lawyer welcomed the court ruling saying the order was 'a testimony to the fact that in this country sovereignty lies in Allah Almighty and the Holy Koran. Dozens of JuD supporters raised banners declaring 'God is Great' outside the court room.

   Pakistani authorities have also closed the charity's offices. However, the organization has resurfaced under a new name - Falah-e-Insaniat (Human Welfare) Foundation (FIF).

   The FIF is running a massive relief operation for thousands of people displaced by the ongoing operation against Taliban in Swat and three neighbouring districts

   Meanwhile, the LeT organization which Saeed founded is believed to be behind a number of deadly attacks in the eastern province of Punjab.

   Analysts have warned that the court ruling is likely to damage efforts to resume peace talks between India and Pakistan.

   'The verdict is going to have negative repercussions,' India's former member of the parliament and journalist Kuldip Nayar told Geo television from New Delhi.

   'On one hand we are talking about the resumption of composite dialogue between India and Pakistan, and on the other a terrorist who is involved in so many attacks here in India is being released. How the talks will proceed?' he said.

   'The government of Pakistan should immediately file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Lahore High Court ruling,' added Nayar.

   New Delhi suspended peace talks with Islamabad in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, which killed more than 170 people, and linked their resumption to action against the suspects.