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Want Hafiz Saeed to be held accountable for involvement in Mumbai attacks: US

WION Web Team
WashingtonUpdated: Feb 14, 2020, 08:43 AM IST
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File photo: Jammat-ud Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed Photograph:(ANI)

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A Pakistan court had sentenced the Mumbai attack mastermind to five years and three months in prison

After Pakistan's anti-terror court convicted UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed in two terror-financing cases, a US State Department spokesman told newswire ANI that the US continues "to call for Hafiz Saeed to be held accountable for his involvement in the planning of numerous acts of terrorism, including 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 innocent people, including six Americans."

A Pakistan court had sentenced the Mumbai attack mastermind to five years and three months in prison along with a fine Rs 150,000 on terror financing charges.

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Earlier, Alice Wells, principal deputy assistant secretary of South and Central Asian affairs in a tweet had said that the conviction of Hafiz Saeed and his associate is an "important step forward", while adding that "both for holding LeT accountable for its crimes, and for Pakistan in meeting its international commitments to combat terrorist financing."

"And as Imran Khan has said, it is in the interest of Pakistan’s future that it not allow non-state actors to operate from its soil," Wells added.

Meanwhile, Indian officials expressed scepticism over the efficacy of the conviction of Hafiz Saeed while asserting that it is a long-pending international obligation of Pakistan to end its support for terrorism and the efficacy of Saeed's sentencing remained to be seen.

Hafiz Saeed's conviction came just four days ahead of a meeting of global anti-terror watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in Paris to review Pakistan's actions to contain terror groups in the country. Pakistan is currently placed under FATF's "grey list" for failing to curb terror financing. 

"The decision has been made on the eve of FATF Plenary meeting, which has to be noted," the Indian official sources said.