India on Monday reacted strongly to Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit’s comments on Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed being “free to roam in Pakistan,” leading to doubts over any possibility of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly later this month.
Speaking to journalists at an Assocham event, Mr. Basit said, “Hafiz Saeed is a Pakistani national, so he is free to roam around. So what is the problem ... He is a free citizen so there is no issue as far as Pakistan is concerned.” Mr. Basit was responding to questions about reports that Saeed had been visiting areas along the LoC and border. The External Affairs Ministry questioned Mr. Basit’s statement, and called Saeed “the evil mastermind of the Mumbai attacks.” A Ministry spokesperson said it was unfortunate that Pakistan had never prosecuted him while he was convicted in Indian courts.
