Interpol and UN Security Council bungle over Hafiz Saeed's name

NEW DELHI: Has the United Nations (UN) Security Council prefixed a respectful 'Sahib' to India's most wanted terrorist Hafiz Saeed's name in an official communique, exposing its soft stance towards him?
Maybe not as the UN has only unwittingly used a well-known alias of Saeed which has been mentioned not just by the UN in its existing records but the Interpol in a Red Corner Notice as well as India's very own National Investigation Agency (NIA) while declaring him wanted, government officials in Delhi indicated to ET. "UN could have avoided using an alias...it is unlikely that UN would know significance of using Sahib or its import," a senior official said.

Television reports however said India was upset over the matter and PTI reported that India may seek clarification from the UN on the usage of such a phrase. However, the foreign ministry spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin did not confirm any such move to ET.

It emerged on Sunday that Gary Quilan, the Chair of UN Security Council Committee, on December 17, in an official communique referred to Saeed as 'Hafiz Mohammad Sahib'. However, government officials pointed out that in 2009, when the UN Security Council had declared sanctions on Saeed, it has mentioned that his “good quality” alias was "Hafiz Mohammad Sahib" -- the same which was used in the present communique. Moreover, the Interpol while declaring a Red Corner Notice on Saeed on India’s request mentions his name as 'Sayed Hafiz Saab' -- a name supplied by India to the Interpol.

Things become more clear after it emerges that even India's own National Investigation Agency (NIA) is aware of the well-known alias of Saeed. On its official website, the NIA names him as Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and also the alias name -- 'Hafiz Mohammad Sahib'. A Home Ministry official said it is unlikely that UN would have used the suffix "by purpose" in an official communique. "It may just be a mistake to use an alias rather than by purpose," the official said.