Pakistani court upholds release of suspect in Mumbai attacks (Roundup)

May 25, 2010, 13:00 GMT

Islamabad - Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed government appeals against the release of a militant leader allegedly linked with the 2008 terrorist attacks in India's financial hub of Mumbai, his attorney said.

The federal government and authorities in the eastern province of Punjab had challenged the release by a high court last year of the founder of militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

'The government's appeals have been dismissed by the Supreme Court and the High Court's verdict about the release of Mr Hafiz Saeed has been held,' said his attorney Abdullah Khan Dogar.

India has accused the Pakistan-based LeT of carrying out the Mumbai attacks that left more than 160 people dead. That stalled a four-year peace process between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals.

New Delhi has repeatedly demanded Pakistan hand over Saeed, among several others that it wants to prosecute for the Mumbai attacks.

Pakistan has arrested the operational chief and half a dozen other militants for masterminding the lethal strikes.

India expressed disappointment over the development and asked Islamabad to take action against the militant leader.

'Everybody in India is disappointed because we regard Hafiz Saeed as one of the masterminds of the Mumbai terror attacks,' Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters in Delhi.

'We hope Pakistan will be sensitive to our concerns and take meaningful action against this individual,' Rao said, adding that enough evidence has been given to Pakistan on the role and activities of Saeed.