India asks Pakistan to tame Hafiz Saeed

India on Thursday termed as matter of ‘grave concern’ the activities in Pakistan of Jamat-ud-Dawah chief and internationally-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, a day after the Mumbai terror attack mastermind warned of more Pathankot-style attacks in the country.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup also made it clear that it was for Pakistan to rein in the JuD chief.

“Hafiz Saeed is globally-designated international terrorist. His claim that his many front organisations are carrying out charitable work is not even a fig leaf. He indulges in terrorist activities and terrorist financing. It should be a matter of grave concern to everyone that terrorist like Saeed and his associates continues to enjoy the freedom to indulge in their activities,” Swarup said.

Addressing a rally on Wednesday, Saeed had said, “800,000 Indian troops are committing genocide on Kashmiris. Don’t they have a right to carry out Pathankot-style attacks for their defence?...You have only seen one attack on Pathankot. Matters could easily escalate.”

Asserting that it was ‘up to Pakistan to rein in Saeed’, the spokesperson also noted that Pakistan had imposed a ban last year on the media coverage of militant groups like the JuD and the Lashkar-e-Taiba but contrary to that ban, the electronic media was showing Saeed’s speeches.

Asked about the status of Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks, Swarup continued to maintain that no ‘mutually convenient’ date has been agreed upon between the two countries.

The national security advisors of India and Pakistan as well as the foreign secretaries are in touch with each other, he said, adding while the NSAs have been discussing the Pathankot terror attack investigation by Pakistan government, the two foreign secretaries are in touch on the issue of the dates for talks.

Asked about the progress on Pathankot probe by Pakistan and if that country has sought any fresh evidence, the spokesperson did not give a direct answer and said the government was also looking at what action was being taken to bring the perpetrators of Pathankot attack to justice.