Prosecute Hafiz Saeed to ‘fullest extent of law,’ US gives stern warning to Pakistan

The United States has called for Hafiz Saeed’s prosecution “to the fullest extent of the law”, following Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s remark that no action could be taken against the UN-designated terrorist.

Abbasi, during an interview to Geo TV on Tuesday, referred to Saeed as ‘sahib’ or ‘sir’.

“There is no case against Hafiz Saeed sahib in Pakistan.

Only when there is a case can there be action,” Abbasi said when asked why there was no action against Saeed.

Reacting strongly to the comments, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the US believes that Saeed should be prosecuted and they have told Pakistan as much.

“We believe that he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He is listed by the UNSC 1267, the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is a designated foreign terror organisation,” Nauert told reporters at her daily news conference yesterday.

“We have made our points and concerns to the Pakistani government very clear. We believe that this individual should be prosecuted,” Nauert said.

Responding to a question, Nauert said the US has “certainly seen” the reports about Abbasi’s comment on Saeed.

“We regard him as a terrorist, a part of a …read more