Islamabad wilts under pressure

NEW DELHI: Islamabad on Friday appeared to be wilting under international pressure when it decided to appeal against the release of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief and Mumbai terror attack accused Hafiz Mohammed Saeed in the Supreme Court.

The Punjab government, in its appeal against a Lahore High Court order, has revealed that it has evidence of JuD���s links with terrorist groups. This is the first admission from within Pakistan about JuD���s terror links. Till now, the Pakistani government has been saying that there is no evidence about JuD���s involvement in terror activities or links with terror groups.

This admission is clearly timed ahead of the meeting between the foreign secretaries of the two countries followed by the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the NAM summit in Egypt. India has been saying that the onus is on Pakistan to take steps on terror and has been pushing for action against the terror infrastructure. This appeal is clearly intended to create a conducive atmosphere for talks by the Zardari government which has been pushing for the resumption of the composite dialogue process.

Law minister of Punjab province Rana Sanaullah was quoted as saying that the Punjab government had prepared the appeal soon after the Lahore High Court���s decision to free Saeed, but had been waiting for the green signal from the federal government.

India had also taken up the delay in filing an appeal against the release of Saeed, who is on the United Nations Security Council���s (UNSC) consolidated list of terrorists and terror organisations, and is wanted by India for the Mumbai terror attacks.

Now, based on the new evidence, the Punjab government has sought the immediate detention of both Saeed and his close aide Col (Retd) Nazir Ahmed, saying their continued freedom could create a law and order situation. The appeal also stated that initially Saeed and Ahmed were detained due to the UNSC resolution that had also declared JuD a front for the Lashkar e Taiba but now there was evidence of JuD���s terror links.

Mr Sanaullah further appealed to the federal government for help in investigations ���We hope the federal government will assist us with complete evidence against the JuD leaders.��� The federal government too would be filing a similar appeal ���in a few days,��� Mr Sanaullah said.

Saeed, who was under house arrest for six months in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, was let off by the Lahore High Court on June 2 on the grounds that the Pakistan government did not produce any evidence to link him to Mumbai attacks. However, a Mumbai court on June 23 had issued warrants for Saeed���s arrest along with 21 others for their role in planning the Mumbai terror attacks.