Islamabad:
The USD 10 million bounty announced by the US for LeT founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed is a "blatant pressure tactic" and has boosted his image as the leader of resistance against the Americans, the Pakistani media said today.
Describing the bounty that has made Saeed one of the world's most wanted men as "peculiar", the influential Dawn newspaper said in its editorial that the measure could be taken advantage of by those who are opposed to the normalisation of Pakistan-US relations.
"A rather blatant pressure tactic, the American move also has the potential to backfire: the forces holding up the normalisation of ties with the US now have yet more ammunition to argue that the US is no friend of Pakistan and what it really seeks is an alliance with India to try and squeeze Pakistan," said the editorial.
The Express Tribune, in its editorial, "The curious case of Hafiz Saeed", warned that the US move could help boost his image among his followers.
"Already seen by many people as a symbol of defiance against India and the West, the bounty comes as a boon for his image of a leader of the resistance against the Americans," it said.
"The irony is that in announcing the bounty on Hafiz Saeed, the US has ended up adding to his fame, especially among his loyal constituency," it said.
Responding to the bounty offered under the Rewards for Justice programme, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani yesterday said the case of Saeed is an "internal issue".
He said the US should provide any evidence it has against Saeed so that it could be examined by Pakistani courts. However, The Express Tribune noted that the US "mishandled the situation" because it had to clarify that the bounty was not for Saeed's "whereabouts but for information that would lead to his conviction".
The daily further noted that Saeed had "done anything but" hunker down and stay quiet since the reward was announced.