Thaindian News

Lahore, Mar 30(ANI): The Lahore High Court has sought a reply from the Pakistan Defence Ministry on a petition of Jamat ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed seeking directions for the government to defend him before a US court in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Saeed, his operational commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, his predecessor Lt Gen (r) Nadeem Taj, ISI officials Major Sameer Ali and Major Iqbal are among those who have been summoned for appearing before the American court in a case filed by an injured US citizen and the heirs of four others, who were killed in the terror strike on November 26, 2008.

During the court proceedings, the Deputy Attorney General submitted a written reply on behalf of the Interior Ministry, stating that the ministry had nothing to do with providing a lawyer or legal assistance to anyone in the concerned lawsuit.

Upon this, the petitioner’s counsel argued that the issue might be related to the Defence Ministry, so a reply should be called from it, The News reports.

The judge accepted his plea, and has sought a reply from the Defence Ministry in this regard on April 9.

The petitioner had earlier stated that he was served with summons from United States district court on December 16, 2010, in connection with a case relating to the Mumbai attacks.

On December 31, 2010, the federal government had announced to defend other parties- including ISI head Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha- against the lawsuit, he added. Through his counsel AK Dogar, Saeed pleaded that he is a citizen of Pakistan and enjoys the same rights as any other Pakistani individual under Article 25 of the Constitution, therefore the government should also defend him in the same manner as it is protecting the ISI chief and other officials.

Saeed also said in his petition that he is the head of Jamat ud Dawa, a charitable organisation, and has no link with terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). (ANI)