Islamabad had placed Pak terrorist Hafiz Saeed under house arrest in Lahore this week. (AFP)
Pakistan has added 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed to its Exit Control List, which restricts foreign travel. At the same time, it has also asked India to come up with "concrete evidence" against the Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD) chief, saying New Delhi has "constantly been using Saeed's political activities" as a tool to malign its neighbour.
Pakistan's interior ministry statement calling for evidence came around the same time that Islamabad placed the terror mastermind and 37 others in the list that prevents them from travelling abroad
JuD is the front organisation of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Islamabad had placed Saeed under house arrest in Lahore this week, a move that the Pakistan army had called the government's "policy decision". Saeed - who has a bounty of $ 10 million on his head - attributed his detention to the rapport between the US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
But the detention - that led to protests by Jamaat Ud Dawaa - did not impress New Delhi that recalled previous instances when Saeed was detained, and later let off. India said nothing less than a "credible crackdown" on terror outfits would demonstrate Pakistan's sincerity.
A Pakistan interior ministry statement hit back at India for questioning its sincerity, insisting that New Delhi furnish the evidence needed to make a case against Saeed that would withstand judicial scrutiny.
"India has constantly been using Saeed's political activities as a tool to malign Pakistan. The international community should take note and understand that Pakistan is a democratic society where judiciary takes free, independent and transparent decisions," a PTI report said, quoting a Pakistani interior ministry spokesperson.
"If indeed India is serious about its allegations, it should come up with concrete evidence against Hafiz Saeed which is sustainable in court of law in Pakistan or for that matter anywhere in the world," he said. The statement effectively lobs the ball for ensuring Saeed's prosecution in India's court.
(with inputs from PTI)