Islamabad: The prime suspect of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack Hafiz Saeed has been arrested by Pakistani authorities, media reports on Tuesday said.
Saeed, who heads the dreaded terror outfit Jamat ud Dawa was arrested by the counter-terrorism department in Lahore and has been sent to judicial custody.
His arrest comes as a big shot in the arm for the Indian government, which had mounted sustained diplomatic efforts since the Pulwama attack to round-up terror elements operating from Pakistan against India’s interests.
In May this year, Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar was designated a global terrorist by the UN following months of diplomatic maneuvering from India.
Media reports emanating from Pakistan suggested that the Imran Khan government was under pressure from Paris-based Financial Action Task Force to act against terror organisations operating from its soil.
Will Pakistan act tough this time around?
Saeed has been arrested several times in the past but each time he was set free. He was also set free after being briefly detained following the Mumbai terror attack.
Reacting to his arrest on Wednesday, a defense strategic expert told a news channel that it was merely an eyewash by Pakistan to show the international community it was determined to crack down on terror.
