Lahore: Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed on Monday came in defence of Lashkar-e-Toiba leader and 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and claimed that he is 'innocent'.
Commenting on India's appeal to United Nations asking its intervention after Lakhvi was released from jail, Saeed said that India is trying to put pressure on Pakistan through the UN and the United States to punish him for the 2008 Mumbai attack.
"India has no evidence against Lakhvi. Out of desperation it has contacted the United Nations and the US to pressure the Pakistani government to give punishment to Lakhvi. India and the UN have no right to intervene in the judicial system of Pakistan. India had never accepted the decisions of the Pakistani courts in the past," he said.
Lakhvi is "innocent" as there has been no evidence against him for his involvement in Mumbai attack case, the founder of LeT was quoted as saying by Dunya TV.
India has written to the UN, expressing concern over Lakhvi's release from a Pakistani jail, noting it violates the provisions of the global body.
Last week, India wrote to the UN, expressing concern over Lakhvi's release from a Pakistani jail, noting it violates the provisions of the global body.
A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) committee has assured India that it will take up the issue of Lakhvi at its next meeting.
Meanwhile,Pakistan's Punjab government has sought an early hearing by the Supreme Court on its petition challenging the Lahore High Court's decision to release Lakhvi.
“We have requested the apex court for early hearing on the Punjab government's petition against the LHC's verdict to suspend detention of Lakhvi,” Punjab Assistant Advocate General Shan Gull told PTI yesterday.
The Punjab government on April 14 had filed the petition in the apex court pleading that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had suspended the detention of Lakhvi under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance despite seeing “sensitive documents” against him.
(With inputs from agencies)
