Pak's Punjab to appeal against Saeed's detention

Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit has said that Punjab province government would file an appeal against Lahore High Court order releasing JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed from house arrest.

A Pakistani court had freed outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief and his close aide Col (retired) Nazir Ahmed nearly on Tuesday, six months after they were detained following the Mumbai terror attacks.

A three-member bench of the Lahore High Court freed Saeed and Ahmed after hearing arguments by the JuD chief's counsel A K Dogar, who claimed the detention of the two men violated Pakistan's constitution and laws.

Dogar, who addressed the bench for about 45 minutes, said the UN Security Council had only sought a freeze on the JuD's assets and a travel ban on its leaders and the world body had not demanded the arrest of JuD leaders.

Hailing the decision, the JuD spokesperson had said, "Hafiz Mohammed Saeed is not a terrorist and JuD is not a terrorist organization. The court in denouncing the pressure of India and America has given proof of the independence of the judiciary in Pakistan.

India had strongly responded to the development with Home Minister P Chidambaram saying, "We are unhappy."

He also said that Pakistan does not show the degree of seriousness in commitment to bring to justice the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks.

Saeed was put under house arrest on December 11 last year after the UN Security Council banned the Jamaat, declaring it a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is blamed by India for November 26 Mumbai terror attacks that killed over 160 people.