Pak says India didn't ask for the arrest of Saeed over Mumbai attack connection

Expressing ‘surprise’ over Pakistan's claim that the issue of arrest of Hafiz Saeed, one of the 26/11 masterminds, was not taken up during Foreign Secretary- level talks, India said on Sunday that it has been demanding action against him since the barbaric and dastardly attacks in Mumbai and the matter was raised ‘strongly’ during the parleys.

"Saeed's activities including his recent vitriolic and venomous statements aimed at fomenting further acts of terrorism against India and the unhindered public space and freedom he enjoys in Pakistan was raised strongly by India during the Foreign Secretary-level talks," External Affairs Ministry spokesman said in a statement here.

Talking to reporters in Multan, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had claimed that India never demanded the arrest of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Saeed nor discussed the issue at the talks between Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir here on February 25.