Hafiz Saeed is the founder of the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which attacked Mumbai in 2008, killing 166 people.
Highlights
- Hafiz Saeed warns India of more terror attacks like Pathankot
- Saeed was speaking at a rally in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir yesterday
- Hafiz Saeed was the mastermind of the deadly 26/11 attacks in Mumbai
A public warning of more "Pathankot style attacks" by terrorist Hafiz Saeed is likely to further complicate the possibility of talks between India and Pakistan.
At a rally yesterday in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region, Saeed, 65, referenced the deadly assault on the air force base in Pathankot that killed seven military personnel and said more could follow.
Reacting to the statement, the foreign ministry said this evening: "Saeed is a globally designated terrorist. It is a matter of grave concern that he can enjoy freedom in Pakistan."
India has blamed Pakistani terrorists for the Pathankot attack, submitted evidence to prove that the six men who opened fire at the base came from across the border, and demanded action against the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who plotted the assault. Till that happens, Delhi has indicated, it will not
reschedule talks between the Foreign Secretaries of both countries that were derailed after the air force base was targeted.
Pakistan has said it needs more evidence from Delhi to prove its citizens were involved in the Pathankot attack; Delhi has said "no mutually convenient date" has been found for the suspended talks. The Saeed speech exacerbates the tension considerably.
Saeed is responsible for the 26/11 attack in Mumbai in which 166 people were killed in 2008.
Despite a 10 million dollar bounty announced by the US for him, he remains a free man in Pakistan.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said yesterday that most terror attacks in India originate in Pakistan and
urged Islamabad to "show sincerity" in its efforts to crackdown on terrorism.