International News
Hafiz Saeed calls Nawaz Sharif ‘a traitor’ for seeking peace with India
“You betrayed the people of Kashmir.... you were ousted from power because you committed treason for trying to develop close relations with Modi,” Saeed said during a Friday sermon in a Lahore mosque.
Hours after being released from house arrest Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed made a scathing attack on ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif calling him a traitor for wanting peace with India.
“You took oath on defending Pakistan and Kashmir, you betrayed the people of Kashmir. I want to tell you that you were ousted from power because you committed treason for trying to develop close relations with (Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modi who is the killer of hundreds of Muslims,” Saeed said during a Friday prayer sermon at the Markaz Al-Qadsia in Lahore.
Saeed was freed from house arrest as Home department decided not to file any other case against him. Police guards were removed from his residence after midnight where a large number of supporters gathered to celebrate the end of his house arrest.
A Judicial Review Board of the Lahore High Court on November 21 ordered him to be freed after authorities failed to file any formal charges against him since his house arrest in January this year. The board also rejected the request of the government of Pakistani Punjab for further extension of his house arrest. A government lawyer had urged the board to extend the house arrest for another three months as the country may face cut in aid or limited sanctions for freeing a U.N.-designated terrorist.
A picture of Saeed was posted by his social media team where he is seen cutting a cake after his release. The post was titled The Freedom Cake.
Saeed addressed supporters at his Johar Town residence in Lahore in which he vowed to continue his struggle to free Kashmir from India. “Although there are only few days left in this year but we will continue our struggle in the next year and mobilize people and take forward our movement to free Kashmir. God willing with the support of people we will take Kashmir to its destiny,” he sad.
Saeed has been designated a terrorist by the U.N., the U.S. and India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Last month, authorities had withdrawn terrorism charges against Saeed and the JuD and kept him under detention under Maintenance of public Order (MPO) paving way for the possible release. Saeed’s detention had been extended five times since he was detained in a crackdown after government put the JuD and its charity arm Falah-i-Insaaniyat Foundation under sanctions and terror watch list.
Saeed challenged his detention in the Lahore High Court in February. His lawyer A.K. Dogar had urged the court to order release of Saeed and his four aides since no formal charges have been filed against his client after so many months of detention.
In September, Pakistan’s Election Commission rejected an application of the Milli Muslim League party which was formed to mainstream Saeed’s banned JuD. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry wrote a letter to the Election Commission that JuD and its charity wing are under sanctions within the country, and internationally as well.
