26/11 brain Saeed under house arrest: Pak PM

New Delhi: Pakistan has finally confirmed that Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been accused by India of masterminding the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has been placed under house arrest.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said that Saeed has been under house arrest while addressing a press conference in Multan on Tuesday afternoon.

"The Interior Ministry can tell you the actual position but I believe he is in custody. A decision on his case will be taken on the basis of laws and evidence (against him)," Gilani was quoted as saying by PTI.

Gilani also said that Pakistan was always ready to cooperate with India on terror.

Saeed, also the founder of terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba, was reportedly placed under house arrest on Sunday night with Pakistani TV channels claiming that the JuD chief's movements had been restricted for reasons of security but there was no official confirmation on the issue.

According to details available with CNN-IBN Saeed not only planned the hijack of the boat MV Kuber that carried the 10 Pakistani terrorists to Mumbai shores, but he also decided 1930 hours IST as the time of attack.

According to the confessions of the lone terrorist captured during the 26/11 terror strike Ajmal Amir Kasab, Fahim Ansari and Sabauddin, who were the Indian link to their Pakistani counterparts during the Mumbai attack, the JuD chief planned every detail of the deadly attack.

Kasab confessed that Saeed had said, "It's time for jihad, decide how to attack Hindustan."

Kasab has reportedly confessed to meeting Saeed during a terror training camp in December 2007.

He added that Saeed often visited training camps and incited youth to fight to free Kashmir. Saeed selected trainees and even gave them codenames.

Pakistan police had registered two cases against Saeed but neither of them are connected to the 26/11 terror attacks.

Punjab Police told CNN-IBN that a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act had been registered against Saeed, which involves seeking donations for banned organisations.

Pakistan on September 19 had also assured India that it was pursuing leads given against Saeed though it alleged New Delhi had still not provided enough evidence on the JuD chief's involvement in the 26/11 attacks.