The White House on Saturday called Pakistan’s release of a militant wanted by the US as the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai massacre of 2008 a “step in the wrong direction” and said a refusal to re-arrest him would damage bilateral ties and Pakistan’s international reputation around the world. Pakistani court orders release of alleged mastermind of Mumbai attacks Read moreIn a statement, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the US “strongly condemns” the release of Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and urged his “immediate re-arrest and prosecution”. “Hafiz Saeed was under house arrest on baseless allegations and jail officials came to his home last night and told him that he is now free,” he said. The Trump administration has been intensifying pressure on Pakistan to fight extremists and drive them from hideouts in Pakistani territory. Donald Trump’s tough words about Pakistan infuriated Islamabad and triggered anti-US protests that Pakistani police used teargas to disperse.

Source: The Guardian November 25, 2017 18:45 UTC