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THE case of Hafiz Saeed continues to baffle and challenge in more ways than one.
The US has just asked Pakistan to rearrest the Jamaatud Dawa chief whose detention at home came to an end on Friday after a court refused to extend the period of his confinement. The US has asked the Pakistani government to charge him for “his crimes”, though the harshest response to his release has, unsurprisingly, come from India.
Hafiz Saeed, in his turn, is seemingly mindful of the value of putting greater pressure on the PML-N government which, to put it mildly, is faced with a quandary of its own.
Soon after his release, the Dawa chief touched upon his favourite, and a most sensitive, topic when he told a Friday congregation in Lahore that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was forced to step down because he had betrayed the Kashmiri cause. The latter is the original — and by no means unpopular — slogan of Hafiz Saeed and his now banned Lashkar-e-Taiba.
It shows just how knotty the issue, which transcends national and ideological boundaries, is. Deft handling is required by the authorities here, that must also investigate the serious allegations which led to his being designated a “terrorist individual” by the UN.
Violence can never be condoned and those resorting to it must be held accountable. But away from the calls for justice, the problem requires engagement with various parties from the US to India to outfits and institutions within this country. Not that anyone in Pakistan has ever been fully equipped to deal with all these elements at once but the government was perhaps better placed to address the question sometime ago.
A government which has recently lost its prime minister and is being run by his replacement who has one eye on the next election and the other on the court proceedings against his leader can hardly be expected to cope well with the calls for and warnings against a trial of Hafiz Saeed.
Which brings us to the salient point about the futility of repeating the exercise over and over again: Hafiz Saeed is put under house arrest and set free after a while. He is seen by the outside world, which demands his arrest, as having been ‘captured’. Is this impression all that is supposed to be achieved? Someone must think so.
Otherwise, the reruns of the arrest-and-release sequence make little sense.
Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2017
Comments (34) Closed
Very well articulated write up.
Dual standard is mother of all the policies.
As long as he is not convicted, he is innocent, all bans & sanctions stride his basic human rights...
Lock him UP he is Roots of Evil
It’s internal matter of Pakistan why others countries make hue n cry??
this guy is a liability. deal with him in a manner that sends positive message across the globe about Pakistan.
While the PM is convicted with ease, it is amazing the country has no evidence to convict this man. Beggars belief.
One man casting reputation and peace of his country.
@Philosopher (from Japan) this internal is killing people and meddling in external affairs.
Shameless society that Pakistan has cometo
@Philosopher (from Japan) He is a liability for Pakistan due to which the reputation of Pakistan gone down both from diplomatic and economic front. Wish only Pakistani can understand that.
@eskaybee it never will...
Pakistan should follow its judiciary.
Besides US, France Britain are watching Pakistan's eye wash of tackling terrorism from its soil while it claims it has done enough & pretending to be victim.
We demand the lockup of Amit shah of BJP who is a threat for humanity.
He will eventually hurt Pakistan and Pakistanis more than "enemies" of Pakistan. All terrorists do. Set him free at your own peril.
A thief never going to badmouth another thief.
This dual behavior against terrorism is the reason what pakistan is now!!
evidence and proof is the key word, not just rhetoric like yadhav was in pakistan because of a love trap
@timetostopthis very true
There is no evidence against this guy, because. None was accepted. Or presented
Dance of evil in pakistan
It makes perfect sense to powers that be in Pakistan, as the usual course of events show!
What is Baffling and What's the Challenge?
He needs to be put with NS in jail in same cell so each can get educated from each other.
Hafiz Saeed is such a great intellectual. Will change Pakistan's image if made Prime Minister.
Who is US to dictate?
@Philosopher (from Japan) because he has caused violence and killed people across the world.
Snakes are Snakes, be it for your neighbours or be it for your own home.
Why should he be arrested ????
the arrest-and-release sequence make little sense.
Just like obsession with Kashmir, Pakistan's obsession with Hafiz Saeed and Haqqani Network is going to cost a lot to Pakistan in the long run.
Are there snakes which could be domesticated?
Is there no evidence agsinst him?