Hafiz Saeed Sahib Has No Case Registered Against Him Here: Pak PM Abbasi

New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, in an interview to Geo TV, termed Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief as "Hafiz Saeed Sahib" and said there is no case registered against the latter in country.

Hafiz Saeed, 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind, carries a US-announced $1 million bounty on his head. He was released by Pakistani authorities after a 10-month house arrest in November. Since his release, Saeed has confirmed that JuD would contest the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Milli Muslim League (MML), which has caused concern to both India and US.

Defending Saeed against further detention, Pakistan PM said: "Action is taken when there is a case registered [against someone]."

Saeed has frequently denied having ties to militants and claims the “charitable organisations” he founded and controls have no terrorism ties.

Pakistan, though, received severe criticism from India and international community for letting Saeed go free.

"The rulers must not take dictation from the US and other countries and take its own decisions," said Saeed upon his release.

The United States has long blamed militant safe-havens in Pakistan for prolonging the war in neighbouring Afghanistan, giving insurgents, including from the Haqqani network, a place to plot attacks and rebuild their forces.

Still, Pakistan is a crucial gateway for US military supplies destined for US and other troops fighting a 16-year-old war in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump's administration, frustrated over Pakistan's failure to do more to combat militants, announced a plan to suspend up to roughly $2 billion in US security assistance.

That triggered outcry in Islamabad. Pakistan's military said its army chief told US General Joseph Votel, head of the US military's Central Command, that Pakistan "felt betrayed" by US criticism.

Pakistan said under their laws, the government can detain a person for up to three months under different charges but to extend it, approval is needed from a judicial review board. The review board had refused to give further extension to Hafiz Saeed and his aides.