Lahore court orders release of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed

The Lahore Court on Wednesday refused to extend house detention of JuD chief and the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

"The government is ordered to release JuD chief Hafiz Saeed if he is not wanted in any other case," the Punjab Judicial Review Board said.

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 the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. However, the last two extensions to his detention were made on the 'public safety law'.

Last month, the Punjab Judicial Review Board had extended by 30-days Saeed's detention which will expire by the last week of this month. The board refused to extend the detention of Saeed's four aides. They were later set free in the last week of October.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned Lashkar- e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack.

The US has offered a USD 10 million bounty for Saeed for his alleged role in the Mumbai attack.

(With agency inputs)