'Efforts to convict' Hafiz Saeed is what matters, not arrest: Ujjwal Nikam

Mumbai, July 17: Asserting that 'efforts to convict' Hafiz Saeed is something that India should take note of more seriously rather than the JuD chief's arrest, Special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case Ujjwal Nikam, on Wednesday, said "Pakistan is fooling the world".

Mumbai terror attack mastermind and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed was arrested today by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Pakistan's Punjab Province.

"Pakistan is fooling the world that they have arrested him, we have to see how they produce evidence in courts and how efforts are made to convict him, otherwise it is a drama," Nikam told ANI.

The arrest has reportedly been made to avoid FATF blacklisting of Pakistan. The Imran Khan government has been under pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to act against terror outfits and terrorists operating out of Pakistan.

In June this year, the FATF gave Pakistan a deadline of October this year to prove that it has improved its efforts to counter terror financing failing which the country would be facing sanctions, said reports.

Saeed, who has several cases pending against him was travelling to Gujranwala from Lahore to appear before an anti-terrorism court when the arrest took place, officials said. He has been moved to an unknown location, they said, as per a PTI report.

Saeed-led JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.

Under pressure from the international community, Pakistani authorities have launched investigations into matters of the JuD and LeT regarding their holding and use of trusts to raise funds for terrorism financing.