Lahore: Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed walked from house arrest as a free man early on Friday and moments after the release he said he will gather people across Pakistan for the "cause of Kashmir" and help the Kashmiris secure "freedom".
The JuD head, who carries a bounty of $10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities, was set free after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any case, PTI reported.
He had been under detention since January this year.
"I was detained for 10 months only to stop my voice for Kashmir," Saeed told his supporters who gathered outside his residence to celebrate his release.
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.
"I fight the case of Kashmiris. I will gather the people from across the country for the cause of Kashmir. And we will try to help Kashmiris get their destination of freedom."
Saeed 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.
The JuD chief said that the US, on India's request, pressured Pakistan to detain him.
"... I was detained on the pressure of the US on the Pakistani government. The US did so on the request of India," he claimed.
Several JuD activists gathered outside Saeed's residence in Jauhar town in Lahore to celebrate his release. They shouted anti-India slogans and described his leader as "a hope for Kashmiri people".
"We are happy to see our leader free," a JuD spokesman Ahmad Nadim told PTI.
"Hafiz sahib received his release order from the jail officials. Now he is a free man," Ahmad said. He said after his release Saeed thanked to his supporters gathered outside his house.
"Saeed has been freed as the Punjab government decided not to detain him further in any other case," a top official in the government told PTI.
He said after a long deliberation by the officials concerned it has been decided to follow the review board's decision.
Official sources said that Saeed's release would invite strong criticism from India and the US.
"How will the PML-N government handle the foreign pressure to again detain Saeed is to be seen," they said.
Punjab Assistant Advocate General Sattar Sahil said the government law officer had presented "some important evidence" to justify Saeed's detention but all three members of the board unanimously rejected it and ordered his release.
On January 31, Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain, were detained by the Punjab government for 90 days under Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and the Fourth Schedule of Anti- Terrorism Act 1997. However, the last two extensions were made on the 'public safety law'.
The board refused to give further extension to the detention of Saeed's aides. They were set free last month. Under the law, the government can detain a person for up to three months under different charges but for extension to that detention it needs approval from a judicial review board.
The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack. Saeed was put under house arrest after the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008 but he was freed by court in 2009.
India has repeatedly asked Pakistan to re-investigate the Mumbai terror attack case and also demanded trial of Saeed and LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in the light of evidence it had provided to Islamabad.
Ten LeT militants killed 166 people and wounded dozens in Mumbai in November, 2008. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught.
Kasab was executed after a court found him guilty and handed down death sentence.
Saeed was declared a global terrorist by the US and the UN over his alleged role in the attack.
(With PTI inputs)
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