Government won't defend Jamatud Dawa chief in US court

The federal government here Monday informed the Lahore High Court that it could not provide counsel to Jamatud Dawa (JuD) Chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed to defend him before a US Court. The court adjourned the matter to June 30 after the petitioner's counsel A K Dogar sought time to prepare his arguments. Deputy Attorney General Naseem Kashmiri submitted a written reply on behalf of ministry of foreign affairs before the court of Justice Umar Ata Bandial.
The statement further said that the government was defending the ISI before the US Court being an institution of the government while JuD or its Chief was not the part of the government. Therefore, the government could not provide legal assistance to him or his organisation, the reply added.
After examining the reply, the judge asked the counsel for Hafiz Saeed, to present a law under which the court could direct the government to defend a private person before a US court. A US court had issued summons to Hafiz Saeed, ISI incumbent Chief and other officials on a law suit filed by the relatives of US nationals killed in Mumbai attacks.
US nationals Rabbi Gabriel Noah Holtzberg and his wife Rivka were killed in Mumbai attacks. Their son Moshe remained unharmed. He, along with some others filed nine claims against banned outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Azam Cheema and Sajid Majid as well as the ISI, the then ISI chief, Nadeem Taj, and incumbent head, Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali. They were accused of providing material support for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. For each of the claims, the plaintiffs have sought damages of $75,000.
Hafiz Saeed through his counsel pleaded that he is the head of Jamatud Dawa, a charitable organisation, and has no link with Lashkar-e-Taiba. The petitioner said, on December 16, 2010 he was served with summons from a United States District Court in connection with a case relating to Mumbai attacks. He said on December 31, 2010 the federal government announced that it would defend legal suit against other parties, including ISI head Lieutenant General Ahmed Shujja Pasha.