The US President tweeted on Wednesday evening that after a 10-year search, Hafiz Saeed had been arrested in Pakistan. "Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him!" Trump wrote.
Shashank Joshi, defence editor at The Economist, mocked the US president, saying: "Yes, no-one knew where Hafiz Saeed was for the past decade. Like the F-35, you literally couldn't see him".
Yes, no-one knew where Hafiz Saeed was for the past decade. Like the F-35, you literally couldn't see him. 🙄 https://t.co/eAS0Ul0Kf5
— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) July 17, 2019
Asad Hashim, a senior journalist at Al Jazeera English, echoed a similar sentiment while tweeting a link to his story in which he interviewed Hafiz Saeed.
Oh, I also interviewed Hafiz Muhammad Saeed for @AJEnglish back in 2015 at a JuD-run mosque and school in Islamabad. Did not take a lot of finding that time, either. https://t.co/Xgc5DaPg6d https://t.co/txfUeFz0po
— Asad Hashim (@AsadHashim) July 17, 2019
All the interview studios had to be checked. https://t.co/95UIYZyNkV
— DrMajorlyPhD, Expert (@majorlyp) July 17, 2019
Lt. Gen. Subrata Saha (Retd.), a member of India's National Security Advisory Board, tweeted to say "POTUS is really abreast".
As Trump is scheduled to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on 22 July, some Indians are blaming Trump for "playing politics with terror".
Yaa, but he wasn't arrested for the Mumbai attacks....do please tell Imran (on 22 Jul in DC) to add that case to him.
— Rahul Singh (@rahulsingh1966) July 17, 2019
And pls don't forget Azhar Masood.
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed lived in plain sight, his JuD operating across Pakistan and he frequently appeared at public protests and rallies. Since 2008, he has been arrested at least twice, with a lengthy house arrest in 2017. There did not appear to be any "finding" involved. https://t.co/txfUeFz0po
— Asad Hashim (@AsadHashim) July 17, 2019
Looks like President Trump is taking the credit for Hafiz Saeed's latest arrest. And I say latest because he has been arrested multiple times before only to be later released. LMAO. https://t.co/6pQ3T5omcT
— F. Jeffery (@Natsecjeff) July 17, 2019
Wow!
— Geeta Mohan گیتا موہن गीता मोहन (@Geeta_Mohan) July 17, 2019
Ahead of Pak PM @ImranKhanPTI's visit to Washington DC, US Prez calls Pakistan out on #HafizSaeed.
Question : is it sarcasm or does he really think there was a ten year search for a man who roamed around freely all those years? 🤔 https://t.co/aZFjzlmJRB
Someone needs to say this out loud to Donald Trump after his Hafiz Saeed tweet. pic.twitter.com/ShypYtwWCd
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) July 17, 2019
Don't delete your tweet after He will get free..
— Asfaq Ahmed Abidi (@AbidiAsfaq) July 17, 2019
There is a million dollars bounty on his head.. Why don't u ask Pakistan to handover Hafiz Saeed to India or US..
US citizens also got killed in that attack..
Opportunistically suggestive this morning aren’t you?
— Sarah (@sarahhappycat) July 17, 2019
If Hafiz Saeed was on house arrest since 2017, why did you have to put effort into finding him? pic.twitter.com/rd7Ne3imaW
Dear Trump, I think you are highly mistaken. He is not Osama Bin Laden or Dawood Ibrahim. His name is Hafiz Saeed. And he along with 'Mohammed' Azhar Mahmood roams the markets of Pakistan freely. Both of them hold rallies and sermons on Friday namaz. No Triumph, Mr. Trump
— Ravi Rai (@Raviravirai) July 17, 2019
Search??? He was very much active in Pakistan... Even created a political party... Only being arrested doesnt mean justice to Mumbai Attack victims Mr Trump... Pakistan has time & again shown their fondness for Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed...
— Shahnawaz شاہ نواز (@shahnawazk) July 17, 2019
Well, this confirms the hypothesis that Hafiz Saeed was arrested to enable the Imran Khan - Donald Trump meeting. New US president, same old Pakistani trick. https://t.co/HrBpE7AHPW
— Nitin Pai (@acorn) July 17, 2019
