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Trump hails arrest of Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hailed the arrest of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed — chief of the banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) — who India and Washington accuse of being the mastermind of the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks and have declared a global terrorist.
Trump, who didn't name Saeed, said: “After a ten-year search, the so-called 'mastermind' of the Mumbai Terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan. Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him!”
Saeed — who has a $10 million US bounty on his head — was taken into custody earlier in the day by counter-terrorism forces in a terror financing case. He has been sent to prison on judicial remand.
Trump's tweet comes days before Prime Minister Imran Khan’s scheduled meeting with the US president on July 22.
The tweet refers to a "10-year search" although Saeed's whereabouts were known to the authorities in Pakistan.
Saeed was previously placed under house arrest in January 2017. He, however, was released in November the same year after a court rejected the government’s plea for a 60-day extension in his house arrest.
“The Pakistani government should make sure that he is arrested and charged for his crimes,” the State Department had said hours after Saeed’s release.
“The United States is deeply concerned that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Hafiz Saeed has been released from house arrest in Pakistan,” the department had said, adding that “LeT is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks, including a number of American citizens”.
The US Treasury Department branded the LeT chief a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in May 2008 and in December 2008, the United Nations also designated him a “terrorist individual”. Both designations blamed him for the November 2008 Mumbai attack in which 166 people, including six American citizens, were killed.
Since 2012, the United States has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.
Comments (82) Closed
Mr. Trump has every right to draw conclusion of his choice. The fact is, that Pakistan does everything that's in the interest of international community but not negating its own interest.
Well Done Pakistan, Well done trump...
Great victory! of Pakistan,finally, Hafiz saeed is arrested
Now that, according to Trump, Hafiz has been found, who gets the bounty?
"Since 2012, the United States has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice"... Mr. IK will en-cash this rewards, $10 M is a boot to Pakistan economy.
Great victory for President Trump and good move by PM Imran Khan. Now, the talks between two leaders will be very interesting, in favor of Imran Khan.
What a timing.... Just few days before PM Imran Khan is visiting United States....Great move by Pakistan...Well Done!!!
Much delayed but finally, a good action by Pakistan
Hafiz operated openly in Pakistan occasionally hiding under bed-sheet, found later depending on weather that time.
Arrested 5 days before Imran Khan's US visit, another coincidence in a long series!
@Abdul Wahid Mir, a terrorist is in nobody's interest
@Addenddum , u my friend deserve the 10 millions
Until and unless Mr. Trump won't sort the ones who were running hafiz saeed out, it will never be fruitful. The real culprits are still at large. Hafiz Saeed was just a pawn.
It is make no impact on IK and trump meeting.
This time eyewash will mean trump wash. Pakistan better be careful
Shukria trump...
Who gets the ten million? When? Justice... Or,...
Gordon D. Walker
Canada
Sure he hails it. And why not, he ordered it.
Arrested YES... because PM is going to USA...
Wait and see how long he is going be under arrest. My bet is he will release within few months. This has happened in pass.
@Hajira Aslam, “Great victory! of Pakistan”
It’s a victory for all humanity!
What is trump view about arrest of Mohsin Dawar and Ali wazir
Wonder what he will say when Pakistan releases him again tomorrow
Will this person remain in custody till the end of IK visit to US, or continue.
It will be a victory if he is convicted this time of terror financing. Until then it's just wait and see.
A welcome step. If he has been arrested so many times earlier only to be released later on then it's a simple eye wash. Pakistani Government needs to understand that times are changing and there are more tools with international community to isolate Pakistan if it doesn't cooperate. If the aim is to fool the world by arresting him just before PM IK's visit and to ease pressure on FATF front then Pak government is living in fools paradise. Even commoners like us are already guessing it. Pak will only be hurting it's own interests by releasing him after some time. Hopefully, sanity will prevail.
What about the thousands killed in Indian occupied Kashmir, IOK. You can't keep mum about innocent Kashmiris dieing daily and talk about one freedom fighter who fights for a just cause. There was no link found between Hafeez and Mumbai attack. But there were links found with kubushan Yadav and terrorism in Baluchistan and Karachi. Address all or none.
Finally PMIK brought trump to applaud us. Thank you PMIK
Search ? Who was searching ?
I love Trump's Sarcasm..
He will be released after IK’s return from US.Another drama.
Hopefully Trump would not ask Imran Khan: "do more".
@Rajiv Kaushal, Now he should be proved guilt by law so that the whole world accept that he was guilty of crimes against him and settle the case once for all.
Firstly, there was no search. Saeed was always available. Secondly, he has been arrested and released more than a dozen times in the last twenty years. This drama is bogus.
This news is not as good as India’s defeat in CWC2019
Use and throw. A lesson for others.
@Gordon D. Walker, u should apply for the 10 million.
If IK accepts the 10 million dollar bounty, he will have to pass Hafiz to the US for trial and death penalty by lethal injection
Good fo Pakistan.
It is Pakistan internal issue ,the statement of the Trump is openly interference in internal issues of a country. The next Chinese era will do the same in western countries but then you call it interference what you are calling it now right of power.
If you convict him as well, you earn $10M from US. A big help to your economy.
If I recall correctly this notorious individual has been arrested a dozen times in the past with basically nothing happening to him
Good for pakistan, very good for india, very very good for the world.
@Addendum, the government of pakistan - of course. Will help pay down the IMF loans.
@Addendum, Imran Khan....He will get the cash when he meets Trump
IK is planning to get the $10 million as reward during his US visit so that Pakistan has some funds flowing in to protect balance of payment and shore up currency.
That was one of the preconditions before the meet.
Guys, it seems sarcastic one, and still being celebrated here. Shame.
Now let just hope Pakistan finds the others as well. There are still quite a few remaining, and hopefully, they will find those behind them as well.
How long will this charade go on?
All cosmetic make up before the meeting.
Gibberish. He is addressing public rallies in Lahore, and he has formed a political party and is campaigning and Trump is searching for him?!!
Another eye wash..
"trump hails".. He was making fun of it.
Imran is going to US to get the bounty:)
What Imarn Khan got from US in return. Or he is just pleasing Trump and Modi?
Dawn and rest missed the pun in the tweet. Trump made a mockery of your government and resolve and guys are celebrating
Well done PM IK. You did well to win heart of President Trump before your visit to US. To hell with the national interests. Those slogans are good for election campaign only
It seems that the US adminstration is oblivious of ground realities in Pskistan
and the $10 million award goes to stupid trump
wow that is a sarcastic tweet by Trump. Seriously Trump says that it took us two years to find him.. And he has been openly campaigning in Pakistan with all medias covering his Rallys'. If that is not sarcasm i dont know what is.
Ten year search? The President must be out of his mind.
Hope Pakistan will learn and move on towards development.
After a ten year search....... Pakistan Zindabad.
I like the word "So-called mastermind".
@Abdul Wahid Mir, pak doing this to get some money from trump
The US panel House Foreign Affairs committee has responded to this tweet, saying Pakistan was not searching for him, he was living freely, lets hold the applause until he's convicted.
So true.
Trump is a negotiator, first, he brought Pakistan on knees by creating an economic crisis through politics and now he is baiting a hook for Pakistan to handover his Afganistan mess.
It's unfortunate that the Army in Pak is dumping its countrymen towards slavery for their interest in enmity with India. You don't have enough capacity to take decisions of your interest. Poor people of Pakistan, you have to look before China or the US to feel happy if they throw some appreciation.
Even in the world cup, you got some happiness due to the win of New Zealand not because of your own.
This statement smacks of arm twisting by the US, who, by the way, has no moral right to make comments or observations about the internal affairs of a sovereign country, especially Pakistan who knows better as to how to safeguard the interests of the nation as well as the region.
so pakistan will get $10m. and for 10 times it makes to$100m. congrats pakistan.
Good job, Now world knows that Pakistan understands only one language...well you know what I mean.
He will get the bail, the day he wants. Cool.
So will Trump now exert his pressure to arrest Jamal Khashoggi's killer?
After a ten year search, the so-called “mastermind” of the Mumbai Terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan. Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him!
There are THREE very interesting components to the Tweet,
A. Hafiz Saeed is the 'mastermind ' of Mumbai Terror Attacks.
B. Pakistan has been 'Searching' for him for Ten Years.
C. Pakistan has arrested him only after' Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years'.
So far Pakistan has not denied any of the THREE parts.
1st thing is that he wasn't hiding anywhere so could he be found. 2nd thing is clear Mumbai attackers were not his associates. 3rd thing is clear indication of restoration of US Pak military ties therfore we came to see in policy shift.
Trump kush Howa.
This is just a drama by Pakistan because Imran Khan is visiting US. Pakistan can’t fool world anymore.
Trump proves with this tweet that he has no match in comedy.
Even the most ardent PTI /Establishment supporter will agree, may be in private, this is a sham. Wait till next week. The most recently introduced phrase in this matter is "irreversible actions", which Pakistan is incapable, yes, incapable, to do. Price is too high for that and that's why the country's slide is also irreversible.
Once again, he has no idea what he is talking about?
Now we shld get 10mill $
Trumo lives in the little world he has created for himself and refuses to look out on reality.
@Sai, 10M here and then pay in billions back to the gold company. What a great deal.