Is Pakistan sincere in its crackdown against Hafiz Saeed? India will be watching

New Delhi/ Islamabad: Even as Pakistani authorities have booked Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and 12 other leaders of the charity, that is a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba, for terror financing, India would be watching the developments closely to see whether Islamabad is sincere in its action against terror this time.
Islamabad’s move comes in the wake of a stern warning from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) — which asked Pakistan to act on terror financing or be downgraded to the black list — and also from the International Monetary Fund, which approved a $6 billion financial package for the cash-strapped country.
It also comes ahead of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s upcoming visit to the US where he is to meet President Donald Trump.
The trial of the 2008 Mumbai terror bombings that killed 166 people has not moved forward in any tangible way. Saeed has been placed under house arrest in the past, let off after some days and then allowed to move around freely and spew venom against India.
India has time and again conveyed to Pakistan that dialogue cannot resume unless Islamabad shows sincerity in cracking down against terror groups operating from its soil.
Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) – a US-designated terror outfit -, was placed under house arrest in September 2009, but was cleared of all charges a month later and allowed to move freely.