Report on Xi’s advise to relocate Hafiz Saeed, shocking says China

China dismissed as "shocking" and "baseless" a media report saying President Xi Jinping has asked Pakistan to explore ways to relocate terror outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed to a West Asian country amid rising international pressure to act against him for his links with terror.

According to the report, a close aide of Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reportedly confirmed that Chinese President Xi Jinping made the suggestion to Mr Abbasi during their meeting on the sidelines of the Boao Forum in China last month.

Reacting to the development, Chinese Foriegn Ministry spokesperson's office today said the report that President Xi Jinping has asked Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to relocate the Pakistan-based terrorist to a West Asian country was "shocking and baseless".

"It is shocking and baseless that's all we can say," the official told news agency PTI.

Hafiz Saeed carries a $10 million American bounty for his role in terror activities. He is the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six US nationals, were killed.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba or LeT, which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai terror attack. It has been declared as a global terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Hafiz Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist since 2012.