Washington: The White House has said there would be repercussions for US-Pakistan relations unless Islamabad took action to detain and charge Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
"(Hafiz) Saeed’s release, after Pakistan’s failure to prosecute or charge him, sends a deeply troubling message about Pakistan’s commitment to (combating) international terrorism and belies Pakistani claims that it will not provide sanctuary for terrorists on its soil," the White House said in a statement.
"If Pakistan does not take action to lawfully detain Saeed and charge him for his crimes, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistan’s global reputation," it added.
The JuD head, who carries a bounty of $10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities, was set free after a Judicial Review Board of Pakistan released him for the lack of evidence.
He had been under detention since January this year.
The Judicial Review Board of Punjab province comprising judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday unanimously ordered Saeed's release on the completion of his 30-day house arrest which expired at night.
Saeed, after his release, said he was detained when he announced a month of solidarity for Kashmiris this January. He used the release order to buttress his claims of "innocence".
"I am very happy that none of the allegations against me proved as three judges of the LHC ordered my release ...India had levelled baseless allegations against me. The LHC's review board decision has proved that I am innocent," Saeed said.
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