India outraged at release of Hafiz Saeed

NEW DELHI: India said on Thursday it was outraged at Pakistan´s release of Hafiz Saeed.

A Pakistani court on Wednesday ordered the release of cleric Hafiz Saeed, who carries a $10 million US bounty, after Islamabad failed to back the charges of terrorism with evidence.

Saeed, who heads the banned charity group Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), was put under house arrest in January following increased US pressure on Islamabad.

"India, as indeed the entire international community, is outraged that a self-confessed and a UN proscribed terrorist is allowed to walk free and continue with his evil agenda," Raveesh Kumar, India´s foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters at a weekly briefing in New Delhi.

"It also appears to be an attempt by the Pakistani system to mainstream proscribed terrorists," the spokesman added.

Kumar said that Hafiz Saeed´s release shows that Pakistan continues with its policy to support and shield non-state actors who are involved in militant activities in the region.