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Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed. |
The Pakistani government wants the world to believe it is sincere in its fight against Islamist terror groups, but at the same time refuses to deal with the Lashkar-e-Taiba and its front group, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa. Even though both groups are banned, its leader, Hafiz Saeed, who has been implicated by the Indian government in the November 2008 terror assault in Mumbai, is again openly calling for jihad. If India would just relinquish Jammu and Kashmir, the conflict would end, Saeed claims. From Rediff News:
Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, who is accused of masterminding the Mumbai terror attacks, on Friday said the only solution to resolving problems between India and Pakistan is the ‘liberation of Jammu and Kashmir’, failing which radical groups will resort to the ‘option of Jihad’.
Addressing a gathering of about 10,000 people at the Mall Road in Lahore to mark ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’, Saeed said this is the message he would convey to Home Minister P Chidambaram, if he came to Lahore during his upcoming visit to Pakistan.
“We are not against composite dialogues. I ask Chidambaram to first come to Lahore before going to Islamabad and hold talks with me. I will tell him a solid solution to the problems between India and Pakistan,” said Saeed.
“There is only one solution to all the problems — liberate Indian-held Kashmir. Otherwise the option of Jihad (holy war) is open for us,” Saeed said.
But Saeed then makes it clear that Lashkar-e-Taiba/Jamaat-ud-Dawa aren’t only concerned with Jammu and Kashmir. His groups have designs on Indian Hyderabad as well.
He also warned India that the liberation of the erstwhile state of Hyderabad was also on the JuD’s agenda. Saeed, also the founder of the banned Lashker-e-Taiba, warned the Pakistan government not to fool the people in the name of the composite dialogue with India.
“Our rulers get happy whenever India expresses its wish for talks with Pakistan. I want to tell them that India will never talk about liberating Srinagar and Jammu and Pakistan must understand this,” he said.
The JuD chief said his group “had already tested the Indian Army”.
And while Saeed didn’t say it at the jihadist rally, he supports the establishment of a global caliphate, just as al Qaeda does. Lashkar-e-Taiba has “consistently advocated the use of force and vowed that it would plant the ‘flag of Islam’ in Washington, Tel Aviv and New Delhi,” the Southeast Asia Terrorism Portal reported.
But despite all of this, the Pakistani government can’t seem to find cause to arrest him. A wise intelligence official told me some time ago that until Pakistan moves against the likes of Hafiz Saeed, the government can’t be taken seriously. Nor can it be completely trusted.
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5 Comments
A significant portion of Kashmir is controlled by Pakistan. Guess what, just about all non-Muslims from there were either driven to India or were forced to convert to Islam in order to keep the property and live there.
Similar thing has happened in the rest of Pakistan. That’s the reason Pakistan has about 97% Muslim population.
If Muslims in India, including the ones in Indian part of Kashmir want to move, they already have an Islamic state called Pakistan to move to.
These folks can’t move with the real estate to Pakistan. Because, that’s Islamic conquest.
But this is what the Pakistani government, not just Hafiz Saeed, want.
At the end of the day, Pakistani state is not going to give up on the likes of Saeed. To do so, is to ignore what most see as the fundamental tenet of their religion.
Saeed is right about the “liberation” part. The solution to jihad and terrorism lies in liberating people from terrorist ideologies.
The major funding for Laskar-e-Taiba in every form has long been provided from Saudi Arabia. Funding for assorted Islamic terror groups in India have also come from Saudi Arabia.
Laskar-e-Taiba and Hafiz Saeed carry aspirations of more than one nation. When this thing gets ugly, it is hard to see how the “citadel” of Islam is going to escape pay back.
It is time Hindus took up arms in self defence. The ‘secular’ upa government has failed to protect Hindus in J&K, which means forming Hindu army to counter the jihadis should be an option
This guy is the face of evil!
And the embodiment of the violence and agression that runs through the veins of Pakistani society, including its weak govt and loser army.
He is free because he is supported by the voice of Pakistan–i care not whether that is a vocal minority or a gutless majority. Democracy excludes criminals.
Death by hellfire would be too quick and painless for this barbaric asset of Pakistan. But then thats the marvel of this technology.
Its been a long time since i visited LWJ but the site is good as ever.
Unfortunately Hafiz Saeed’s designs are exactly in line with those of the army and all Pakistanis when it comes to Kashmir – he is a nothing more than an instrument of pakistani foreign policy.
This is exactly why all the “talks” request from the Indian Govt shows its essential weakness and how it has been completely outmaneuvered by the Pakis.
Insanity ,the meaning ,unfolded in the name of that saeed,let him take guns in his own hands and let him come to India.He will have the answers what it really mean JIHAD,its easy for any insane person to preach JIHAD to the ILLITERATE AND IGNORANT MASSES and sacrifice their lives.
Let him come first and take a lead instead of hiding as an COWARD.