New Delhi: India on Thursday criticized Pakistan to release terrorist Hafiz Saeed from house arrest, saying it shows the true face of Pakistan.

Raveesh Kumar, representative, Ministry of External Affairs, told a press briefing that Saeed was not just the instigator but also the chief organizer of the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008.

“His release confirms once again the lack of seriousness on the part of Pakistan to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack,” the representative said.

“It is obvious that Pakistan has not changed its policy of shielding and supporting non-start actors. Its true face is there for all to see,” Raveesh Kumar insisted.

The strong comments came a day after a legal Review Board of Pakistan's Punjab territory ordered the release of banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been behind the bars since January.

Refusing the government's plea to make longer his custody for another three months, the board ordered Saeed's release.

On January 31, Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were under arrest by the Punjab government for 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and the Fourth Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.