New Delhi: India on Monday cautiously welcomed Pakistan’s move to list militant leader Hafiz Saeed and four of his aides under the country’s Anti-Terrorism Act, imposing restrictions on their movement and communication with the media.
Indian foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup, however, qualified his remarks with the hope that the listing of Saeed under Pakistan’s terrorism Act would be the “logical first step” in bringing Saeed—blamed for many terrorist attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai attack—to justice.
“Hafiz Saeed is an international terrorist, the mastermind of Mumbai terrorist attack and responsible for unleashing wave of terrorism against Pakistan’s neighbours through LeT/JuD and their affiliates,” Swarup said, referring to the terrorist Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) group that Saeed founded and the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) charity that he heads. The 10 terrorists who held Mumbai to ransom during 26-29 November 2008 were members of the LeT, according to one of them caught alive by the Indian police.
“Effective action mandated internationally against him and his terrorist organisations and colleagues is a logical first step in bringing them to justice, and in ridding our region of the twin menaces of terrorism and violent extremism,” Swarup said.
India’s qualified welcome of Pakistan’s move comes amid strains between the two countries over a series of terrorist attacks in 2016—on India’s Pathankot airforce station, at an Indian army garrison in Uri and another Army residential facility in Nagrota.
“We hope it’s not a one off act but the start of a process by which Saeed will be brought to book,” said a person familiar with the developments. “If due process is followed it is a welcome move,” said the person, who did not wish to be named.
India’s distrust stems from the fact that Saeed was put under house arrest after the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, but he was freed within six months on the orders of the Lahore high court.
This time round, Saeed and his aides were placed in “preventive detention” or house arrest on 30 January. On Saturday, they were listed under the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act by the government of Punjab province, according to Pakistani media reports.
According to Section 11EE of the Act, people involved in terrorism, members of an organisation that is banned or on the interior ministry’s watch list or suspected to be involved with a group involved in terrorism can be included in the Fourth Schedule.
The Schedule imposes a wide range of restrictions on the movement and activities of a listed person. Such a person is not allowed to visit schools, colleges and other educational institutions, parks, hotels and public places, airports, railway stations, TV and radio stations or attend public rallies and meetings, according to a report in the Express Tribune newspaper.
Under the provisions of this schedule, authorities can probe the assets and sources of income of the listed persons and their families to ascertain whether the assets are legitimate. These restrictions can be applicable for a maximum of three years.
Saeed currently heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, which has not been banned but is on the watch list. The US and the UN Security Council have already declared the JuD and its sister organisation, the Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation, as fronts for the LeT.
