New Delhi: The United States on Friday called on Pakistan to charge and arrest the 26/11 attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, hours after he walked out from house arrest as a free man.
"The United States is deeply concerned that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Hafiz Saeed has been released from house arrest in Pakistan. LeT is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks, including a number of American citizens," state department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.
"The Pakistani government should make sure that he is arrested and charged for his crimes," Nauert said in a statement after the release of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief.
The JuD head, who carries a bounty of $10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities, was set free after a Judicial Review Board of Pakistan released him for the lack of evidence.
He had been under detention since January this year.
The Judicial Review Board of Punjab province comprising judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday unanimously ordered Saeed's release on the completion of his 30-day house arrest which expired at night.
Saeed, after his release, said he was detained when he announced a month of solidarity for Kashmiris this January. He used the release order to buttress his claims of "innocence".
"I am very happy that none of the allegations against me proved as three judges of the LHC ordered my release ...India had levelled baseless allegations against me. The LHC's review board decision has proved that I am innocent," Saeed said.
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