Hafiz Saeed Arrest: US President Donald Trump said it took 10 years to find Hafiz Saeed when the Lashkar-e-Taiba chief has been openly moving around in Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks. In a tweet, Trump described Saeed as "so-called mastermind" of Mumbai attacks when Washington in 2012 had labeled him specially designated global terrorist and had announced a $10 million bounty for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

"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," he said in the tweet without naming Saeed who was arrested by Pakistani authorities outside Lahore on Wednesday.


Meanwhile, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday said that Pakistan was not searching for the 26/11 terror attack mastermind for 10 years -- as claimed by Trump. Hafiz was living freely in the country, they added.

"FYI Pakistan wasn't searching for him for 10 years. He's been living freely and was arrested and released in December 2001, May 2002, October 2002, August 2006 (twice), December 2008, September 2009, January 2017. Let's hold the (applause) until he's convicted," the committee tweeted.

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

Interestingly, the arrest comes just days ahead of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's maiden visit to the US. Saeed was arrested yesterday on terror financing charges by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab Province.

He has been detained and freed in the past and New Delhi has still not reacted to Pakistan's latest action. He has been addressing his supporters in public meetings despite his earlier detention in 2017.

He had floated Milli Muslim League to contest the general election and had fielded more than 200 candidates without any electoral success. LeT's humanitarian front Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) has been active across Pakistan.

Saeed had organized an anti-India rally in February this year.

Watch | Trump says 'great pressure' worked to find Hafiz Saeed 



Hafiz Saeed's re-arrest came ahead of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's meeting with Trump. Pakistan has also joined the US, Russia and China in finding out a peace solution in Afghanistan by bringing Taliban on board.

The move has not gone down well in India as it was kept out of the crucial initiative. New Delhi is also opposed to postponement of elections in Afghanistan. Pakistan has also opened up its airspace for traffic from India after blocking it for more than five months in the wake of border tension.

(With inputs from IANS)