ISLAMABAD: Duration of Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed's house arrest has been extended by 90 days by the Pakistan government. An official of Punjab government's Home Department said that the decision was taken under the anti-terrorism act and the notification for it will be issued soon. “The government has decided in principle to extend the house arrest of Hafiz Saeed, Prof Malik Zafar, Abdur Rehman Abid, Qazi Kashif Hussain, and Abdullah Ubaid for another 90 days under preventive detention,” he said. He added that a consultative meeting on the militant leader's detention was already held under Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, in which an extension on his house arrest was decided.
Saeed and the four leaders were put under house arrest in Lahore on January 30, for their alleged involvement in activities prejudicial to peace and security. Reports suggested that the Nawaz Sharif government had detained Saeed after Donald Trump took over the US administration, and had told Pakistan that it may face sanctions if it did not act against JuD and its chief. The front group of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jamaat-ud- Dawah and its sister organisation Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation were put under terror watch on the basis of a report sent by the ministry of foreign affairs.
