US calls for 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed's full, expeditious prosecution

The United States on Wednesday called for the full and expeditious prosecution of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, who was arrested in Pakistan on charges of terror financing.

Speaking to ANI, a US State Department spokesperson said, "The United States calls for Saeed's full and expeditious prosecution for his involvement in the planning of numerous acts of terror, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 innocent people, six Americans among them."

Reacting to the UN-proscribed terrorist's arrest, US President Donald Trump had earlier tweeted, "After a ten-year search, the so-called "mastermind" of the Mumbai terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan. Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him!"

Saeed was arrested on Wednesday while he was on his way to an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Gujranwala to seek bail.

The development has come just two days after an anti-terrorism court in Lahore had granted interim bail to Saeed and three of his aides until August 31 against surety bonds of PKR 50,000 each.

On July 3, banned terror outfit Jama'at-ud-Da'wah's (JuD) top 13 leaders -- including Saeed and Naib Emir Abdul Rehman Makki -- were booked in nearly two dozen cases for terror financing and money laundering under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Pakistan has taken the steps in the wake of the upcoming meeting between Trump and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Washington and the possibility of being blacklisted by the Paris-based anti-money laundering watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

-ANI