Hafiz Sayeed’s House Arrest

Context

Whether Pakistan’s gesture of placing Hafiz Saeed under house arrest is a hollow gesture? If so what are the reasons for doing so?

Discussion

Pakistan has once again decided to place terrorist Hafiz Saeed under house arrest. This symbolic action has not been taken for the first time, Pakistan has similarly detained him earlier too. But despite detention he was found to perform his duties without much hindrance from anybody. So, this time also it is expected that the detention is symbolic. Pakistan tends to respond to the questions of the international community through hollow gestures.

The trigger for the recent detention of Saeed appears to be Trump’s immigration policy on terrorism and his reiteration to forge a deep friendship with India. But it is highly unlikely that its gesture of placing Saeed under house arrest will alter the new administration’s opinion about Pakistan’s stand on supporting terrorism and on terror groups that target India. There is growing realisation about Pakistan’s duplicity in combating terrorism and its image as a US ally in the global war against terrorism. It is not just India, even Afghanistan has become vocal about Pakistan’s role in promoting terror in the South Asian region.

But what is more intriguing is the fact that Trump has left out Pakistan as one of the countries whose nationals were exempted from the immigration ban. It is yet to be seen what policies the new dispensation under Trump will have towards Pakistan.