Indicating that the house arrest of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed in Lahore was essentially “a face-saving technique”, India today reiterated that Pakistan should investigate his role in masterminding the Mumbai terror attacks and look for evidence against him on its own soil.

Commenting on reports that Saeed had been detained under house arrest, Home Minister P Chidambaram pointed out that the Lashkar-e-Toiba founder had been charged under two FIRs “unrelated to 26/11”.

“If that is a face-saving technique, I have no objection. My demand is that now that he has been arrested, he should be interrogated on the 26/11 incidents; his role in the 26/11 attacks must be investigated,” Chidambaram said. He was in Chennai to flag off a Duronto Express train to Delhi.

On the Pakistan government’s stand that there was not enough evidence to take action against Saeed, Chidambaram said: “Evidence is on Pakistani soil. When Pakistan says give us evidence, evidence is not on Indian soil — all the evidence against Hafiz Saeed is on Pakistani soil. Therefore, one must investigate in Pakistan, and find the evidence in Pakistan.”

A PTI report from Lahore said Saeed was placed “under house arrest” for inciting people to wage jehad. Lahore police chief Pervaiz Rathore said Saeed’s movements had been restricted in connection with two cases registered against him in Faisalabad last week for making speeches in which he incited people to wage jehad and sought funds for the banned JuD.

“We have put him under house arrest and told him verbally that he cannot move out of his residence. At the moment, he cannot leave the house,” Rathore said. Asked if police planned to take more action against Saeed in connection with the two FIRs against him, Rathore replied: “Certainly we will proceed further.”

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