"Mumbai mastermind" in Pseudo House Arrest: Pakistan

Pakistani authorities have curbed the movements of an Islamist militant leader accused by India of masterminding last year's Mumbai attack, police and the militant's aides said on Monday.

India wants Pakistan to prosecute Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, founder of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, before it resumes a peace process broken off after last November's assault on Mumbai in which 166 people were killed.

Police took position outside Saeed's residence in the eastern city of Lahore, and his aides said he was barred from leaving to lead prayers for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr festival on Monday.

"There are no written orders but he is not allowed to go out of his home. He has been barred from performing his religious duty, it is against basic human rights," said Yahya Mujahid, a spokesman for Saeed, adding that Saeed's son led the prayers.

A senior police official, Sohail Sukhera, told reporters outside Saeed's residence that his movements had been restricted for security reasons, but said he was not under house arrest.

India wants forceful action against Saeed and other suspects before it resumes formal talks under a peace process launched in 2004, although the nuclear-armed rivals have held three bilateral meetings on the sidelines of international gatherings.