India unease over Pakistan cleric

Mr Saeed's release order is likely to alarm India.

Profile: Hafiz Mohammad Saeed

India has expressed concern about the the dismissal of two cases against the head of an Islamic charity accused of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

India's foreign minister said he will "take up" the issue with Pakistan after a court dropped charges against Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader Hafiz Mohammad Saeed.

On Monday a Lahore court upheld Mr Saeed's appeal against charges of advocating jihad (holy war).

Mr Saeed denies any involvement in the Mumbai attacks.

He set up Lashkar-e-Taiba, the militant group blamed for the attacks, in which more than 170 people, including nine gunmen, were killed.

India has always said it wants Mr Saeed questioned about his "role" in last November's violence.

Foreign Minister SM Krishna said that India had provided Pakistan with "evidence" that Mr Saeed was behind the attacks.

"We will take up the matter with Pakistan government," Mr Krishna was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.

"As far as my knowledge goes, [Mr Saeed] was not probed by the Pakistan government for his role in the attack on Mumbai, though we still insist that the Pakistan government investigate him for the role he played," he added.

Pakistan detained Mr Saeed last year in connection with the Mumbai attacks. He was freed in June after a court ruled there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him.

'Glorifying' jihad

But last month Pakistani authorities filed two cases against him for giving speeches allegedly "glorifying" jihad.

But Mr Saeed appealed against the decision and on Monday his petition was upheld by a court in Lahore.

Mr Saeed's lawyer had argued that as the Jamaat-ud-Dawa charity was not banned, Mr Saeed should be allowed to make speeches and collect funds.

Indian authorities say there is evidence to show that the Mumbai attacks were planned and financed by Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan.

Founded in the late 1980s, Lashkar-e-Taiba is one of most feared groups fighting against Indian rule in part of the disputed territory of Kashmir.

After it was banned in Pakistan in 2002, the organisation divided itself into Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba, correspondents say.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa works as an Islamic charity all over Pakistan.