LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed the federal and Punjab governments not to arrest or put Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed under house arrest until Pakistan is blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Saeed on Jan 23 moved the court against his possible arrest, arguing that the government, under alleged pressure from the United States and India, wanted to arrest him.
The court had directed the governments not to arrest him, and ordered them to wait till the US and Indian lobby successfully helps put Pakistan on the black-list after having already put the country on the FATF grey-list.
The court expressed dismay over the respondents’ failure to comply with common sense, and more importantly national interests.
Last month, ahead of the FATF meeting in Paris, Pakistan had declared Hafiz Saeed a ‘terrorist of hearts’ ahead of Valentine’s Day.
While that had managed to bring Hafiz Saeed closer to government officials, and the leadership of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership, it confused the FATF officials who want clearer action against Hafiz Saeed.
Talking to The Dependent, the Jamaatud Dawa leadership said that the FATF was international propaganda against Pakistan.
“Pakistan should create its own grey, black, blue, orange and other coloured lists,” a JuD spokesman said. “And Pakistan should put India, Israel and America on all these lists.”