Warrant against Hafeez Saeed

A Mumbai court issued arrest warrants against 22 of 35 'absconders' for their alleged involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks

Hardnews Bureau Delhi

A day after a Mumbai court headed by Justice Tahiliyani issued arrest warrants against 22 of 35 'absconders' for their alleged involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks, Indian officials are mulling over demanding the immediate arrest of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafeez Mohammad Saeed.

All 22 of the absconders are Pakistani citizens and include Hafeez Mohamamd Saeed,  Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah. These three were arrested in Pakistan in December after India provided dossier to their counterparts in Pakistan and subsequent diplomatic pressure. A Lahore court, however, released Saeed earlier this month.

Saeed is currently the chief of Zamaat-ud-Dawa, a front organisation of Lashkar, who he claims to be a charity organisation. The prosecutors are now planning to urge the Interpol to issue arrest warrants and insist on their extradition. Pakistan has maintained that they will not send any Pakistani national to India, but try them in their own court of laws. Islamabad has accepted that the plot was partly hatched on its soil, but denied Indian government's charges of involvement of Inter Service Intelligence (ISI).

On November 26, 2009, 11 Pakistani militants had put Mumbai under siege for three days, and killed 166 innocent people. All terrorists were killed except Amir Ajmal Kasab, who is facing trial in a Mumbai court.

Abdur Rahman Makki, a close aid of Saeed, slammed the Indian government for 'false' charges. He reportedly said that the Lahore court has already given the verdict and there is no evidence against Saeed.