'Cosmetic steps', says India as Pakistan books Hafiz Saeed in terror funding cases

India has said the world should not get fooled by cosmetic steps taken by Pakistan in reining in terrorist and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed.

Pakistan had on Wednesday booked Saeed and his various outfits in terror funding cases.

"Let us not get fooled by cosmetic steps. We have seen where it is headed. Pakistan's sincerity will be judged bassed on their demonstration and not on half-hearted measures taken to strengthen goodwill in front on international community," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Pakistan's Punjab province has registered multiple cases against the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief and 12 of his aides, including his brother-in-law Abdul Rehman Makki.

Saeed is the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

The LeT chief is also involved in the deadly attack on India's Parliament in 2001. In fact, he was taken into custody for the first time by Pakistan after the attack. India had then welcomed the move, but it turned out to be an eyewash and Saeed was released 11 months later.

After being released, Saeed was brought into the mainstream and started spewing venom against India.

Four years later, in August of 2006, Saeed's name came to light again, this time in connection with the Mumbai train bombings. He was arrested but released by a Pakistan court just after three months.

On Dec 10, 2008, 14 days after the Mumbai attacks, Saeed was listed as a globally designated terrorist by the United Nations, and was once again arrested by the Pakistan administration but managed to walk free in just about six months.

In 2018, Saeed was put on the list of terrorists listed by Pakistan; his organisation too was banned. He then once again approached the court in an attempt to get a cleanchit once again, and as per expectations, got it in September 2018.

This time, he has been booked under the stringent Anti-Terror Act under which he can be jailed for life if terror financing charges are proven.

What remains is to be seen is that will this be another hogwash or would Pakistan be walking the talk.