The United States on January 19 made clear to Islamabad that Pakistan needs to prosecute terrorist Hafiz Saeed “to the fullest extent of the law.” The statement has come following the remark by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that “there is no case against 26/11 Mumbai terror mastermind.”
During an interview to Geo TV on January 16, Abbasi while referring to Saeed as ‘sahib’ or ‘sir’ said, “There is no case against Hafiz Saeed sahib in Pakistan. Only when there is a case, can there be action.”
Reacting sharply to Abbasi’s comment, the US State Department spokesperson, Heather Nauert, said the US believed that Saeed should be prosecuted and they have told Pakistan as such.
“We believe that he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He is listed by the UNSC 1267, the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is a designated foreign terror organisation,” said Nauert to media.
