26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed justified the attack on the Pathankot airbase and had warned of more Pathankot-like attacks on India. It should be a matter of grave concern for all that there was no check on the activities of an internationally designated terrorist based in Pakistan.
"Some 800,000 Indian troops are committing genocide on Kashmiris. Don't they have a right to carry out Pathankot-style attacks for their defense? You have only seen one attack on Pathankot. Matters could easily escalate,'' Hafiz Saeed had said.
"Hafiz Saeed is a globally designated international terrorist. His claim, that his many front organisations are carrying out charitable work is not even a fig leaf,'' foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. "He indulges in terrorist activities and terrorist financing. It should be a matter of grave concern to everyone that a terrorist like Saeed and his associates continues to enjoy the freedom to indulge in their activities," Swarup added.
Vikas Swarup on Thursday said that Pakistan had failed to rein in Lashkar founder Hafiz Saeed. Asserting that it was “up to Pakistan to rein in Saeedâ€, he noted that Pakistan had imposed a ban last year on the media coverage of militant groups like the JuD and LeT but contrary to that ban, the electronic media were showing Saeed’s speeches.
Saeed had made an appearance on a talk show on Channel 24 on January 27. He glorified his organisation's “public welfare†works and talked about how India and the US were†pressuring†the Pakistani government to take action against organisations like the JuD and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Saeed also lauded Kashmiri militant leader Syed Salahuddin, who heads the United Jihad Council (UJC), that claimed responsibility for the January 2 attack on the Pathankot IAF base.
By Premji
