Islamabad:
A Pakistani militant accused of directing deadly attacks in neighbouring India has dismissed a US decision to put a bounty of $10 million on his head as misdirected.
The reward is for "information leading to the arrest and conviction" of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, who founded the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) with alleged Pakistani support in the 1980s to pressure archenemy India over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
The US also offered up to 2 million dollars for Lashkar-e-Taiba's deputy leader, Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, who is Saeed's brother-in-law.
Saeed, who has denied involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed more than 160 people, said the US announced the reward because of his demonstrations against reopening supply lines through Pakistan to NATO troops in Afghanistan.
"With the grace of God, we will continue our work as usual. These threats and fixing a bounty is a proof of nervousness," he said during an interview in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The bounty offers could complicate US-Pakistan relations at a tense time.
Pakistan's parliament is debating a revised framework for ties with the US following American air-strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.
Islamabad closed the supply lines to NATO troops in response.
Pakistan banned Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2002 under US pressure, but it operates with relative freedom under the name of its social welfare wing Jamaat-ud-Dawwa - even doing charity work using government money.
The US has designated both groups "terrorist" organisations.
Intelligence officials say Lashkar-e-Taiba has expanded its focus beyond India in recent years and has plotted attacks in Europe and Australia.
Some have called it "the next al-Qaida" and fear it could set its sights on the US.
The 61-year-old Saeed operates openly in Pakistan from his base in the eastern city of Lahore and travels widely, giving public speeches and appearing on TV talk shows.
"We are among the people all the time. So why does America need to announce a 10 million (US dollar) reward. It can contact me any time it wants," Saeed said.
The reward is for "information leading to the arrest and conviction" of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, who founded the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) with alleged Pakistani support in the 1980s to pressure archenemy India over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
The US also offered up to 2 million dollars for Lashkar-e-Taiba's deputy leader, Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, who is Saeed's brother-in-law.
Saeed, who has denied involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed more than 160 people, said the US announced the reward because of his demonstrations against reopening supply lines through Pakistan to NATO troops in Afghanistan.
"With the grace of God, we will continue our work as usual. These threats and fixing a bounty is a proof of nervousness," he said during an interview in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The bounty offers could complicate US-Pakistan relations at a tense time.
Pakistan's parliament is debating a revised framework for ties with the US following American air-strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.
Islamabad closed the supply lines to NATO troops in response.
Pakistan banned Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2002 under US pressure, but it operates with relative freedom under the name of its social welfare wing Jamaat-ud-Dawwa - even doing charity work using government money.
The US has designated both groups "terrorist" organisations.
Intelligence officials say Lashkar-e-Taiba has expanded its focus beyond India in recent years and has plotted attacks in Europe and Australia.
Some have called it "the next al-Qaida" and fear it could set its sights on the US.
The 61-year-old Saeed operates openly in Pakistan from his base in the eastern city of Lahore and travels widely, giving public speeches and appearing on TV talk shows.
"We are among the people all the time. So why does America need to announce a 10 million (US dollar) reward. It can contact me any time it wants," Saeed said.
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