Pakistan not to extend militant leader's detention

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan's government has withdrawn its request for extending the detention of the leader of a banned militant group wanted by the United States.

Yahya Mujahid, a spokesman for Jamaat-ud-Dawa, said Saturday that the government today withdrew its application for a fifth detention extension for Hafiz Saeed, but that he will remain under house arrest until the end of this month under the current order.

Hafiz Saeed heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawa Islamic charity widely viewed as a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He was placed under house arrest along with four aides in January. The U.S. offers a $10 million bounty for Saeed.

The U.N. Security Council labeled Jamaat-ud-Dawa a terrorist front group in 2008.