There
is zero tolerance for militants and terrorist safe-havens in Pakistan. This
fact is evident from our security forces resolve and successes in the war on
terror. Pakistan armed forces contributions in this regard are unparalleled and
exemplary. No one other than Pakistan itself recognizes militants and act
against them in the best possible ways that operate on its soil and so is the
case with Hafiz Muhammad Saeed (HMS).
India has been successful to an extant to sell its
narrative blaming HMS as a terrorist among the west through its lobbies. Voices
by India alongwith its western mates keep echoing to pressurize Pakistan for
taking action against HMS. India considers JuD as Pakistan’s strategic asset,
however, Pakistan candidly started investigations against HMS and its
organization sunder international regimes. The courts in Pakistan, under their
constitutional duty, are determined to uphold rule of law without external
pressure from any state institution. Under current environment, Judiciary has
become even more powerful and performs its function without executive’s
interference. Supreme and High Courts of Paksitan have given historical
decisions during the recent past ousting even the sitting PM of his office thus
firmly establishing judicial authority.
Pakistan showed its complete willingness and
intent to cooperate with Indian on this issue and ordered judicial probe.
Several arrests were made in connection with the Mumbai attacks and HMS was put
under seizure vide Section 11-EEE (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, as per UN
Security Council Resolution 1267. Three judges bench ordered the release of HMS
in November 2017 after 10 months of house arrest as no evidence against him or
his political party and welfare organization could be found after hectic investigations.
Another important aspect of HMS is his status of
terrorist and head money or bounty by the U.S. The fact of the matter is that
he is not an unknown figure nor he is hiding. He even interacts with media and
holds processions publically. U.S. reward for justice programme does not
declare but only suspects HMS as terrorist. The programme infact ask masses to
help bring a proof or tip against him in order to prove him a terrorist. In a
significant development earlier this year, the U.S. excluded Lashkar-e-Taiba
from organizations on which Pakistan was asked to take action under the U.S.
National Defense Authorization Act 2018. One of his outfit, the
Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) has its offices all over Pakistan and is
patently a charity organization working for poor and vulnerable segments of the
society that are victims of disasters and conflict. Despite above, the Ministry
of Interior had placed FIF on the watch list as per UNSC 1267 Sanctions which
figured out to be a welfare society based on welfare and peaceful agendas. The
following is recommended for media campaigns:
·
It is a totally wrong
perception that Pakistan has acted against HMS due to US pressure because all
actions against the JuD fall under the realm of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
·
The case of Saeed must to be
weighed in the light of an independent judiciary present in Pakistan. In
addition, Pakistan’s institutions (Army ISl, IB, FIA) have also critically
pursued the case and found that he has just been used as a scapegoat by India to
divert world community from the atrocities committed by them in IOK.
·
Indian propaganda against HMS
has no solid proof. In a significant development this year the U.S. excluded
LeT from the list of those organizations on which Pakistan was asked to take action
under the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act 2018. This was definitely
based on U.S. intelligence agencies reports and not Pakistani rationales.
·
Pakistan needs to project
India's non-cooperation on Mumbai attacks investigations vis-a-vis Pakistan
highest degree of cooperation in HMS case.
·
There is a dire need to
emphasize the case of Pakistan basing on the investigations and court decision
on HMS as India alongwith U.S., west and Israel may again pressurize Pakistan
to take actions against HMS and JuD which is preposterous.
·
The Bollywood movie, titled Phantom,
is set in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks in which Saeed is highlighted as
the driving force behind those attacks backed by Pakistan’s deep state. For
that Pakistan’s support to militant groups financially or operationally must be
measured by evidence, not on the basis of false Indian media propagated
stories.
·
Due to rising ties between
India and the US, power imbalance will emerge in the region. The Trump
administration needs to adopt a balanced approach to South Asia and avoid
coercing Pakistan on the whims and impulses of India.
