Hafiz Saeed, founder of militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) on Tuesday said that India and the United States had recently inked an agreement over increased military cooperation &ldquo;aimed at Pakistan and China&rdquo;. 
 
Saeed was speaking at a seminar in Islamabad to mark the 51st Defence Day of Pakistan, Reuters reported. The seminar was organised by Difa-e-Pakistan Council (Defence of Pakistan Council), an alliance of 40 religious and political parties. 
 
&quot;America&#39;s issue is China; India&#39;s issue is Pakistan. The interest of both has become one because of CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor). This is the basis of their new pacts. This is the preparation for a terrifying war. They believe that if this project of Pakistan and China succeeds, the entire Muslim world will stand beside Pakistan, and the new defence and economic pacts that will take place will oust America not only from this region and the Middle East, but from all important places and waters of the world. America will have to get out of all these places. That is why today, the biggest hurdle before them is Pakistan,&quot; said Saeed who now heads the Islamic charity Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD). 
 
The council announced that the movement for the defence of Pakistan, restoration of peace and order in the county and the liberation of Kashmir would continue under all circumstances. 
 
The meeting also discussed the 3,000 kilometres-long China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) worth USD 46 billion and declared that all efforts would be made to ensure completion of the project, despite opposition from certain quarters. 
 
The CPEC is a network of roads, railways and pipelines linking China&#39;s west to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan. 
 
India has blamed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the group Saeed founded in the 1990s, for the deaths of 166 people during the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai, and has called on Pakistan to bring him to justice. Pakistan, however, has asked for more evidence. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Saeed was speaking at a seminar in Islamabad where he said that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor was a concern for both the countries

Hafiz Saeed, founder of militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) on Tuesday said that India and the United States had recently inked an agreement over increased military cooperation “aimed at Pakistan and China”. Saeed was speaking at a seminar in Islamabad to mark the 51st Defence Day of Pakistan, Reuters reported. The seminar was organised by Difa-e-Pakistan Council (Defence of Pakistan Council), an alliance of 40 religious and political parties. "America's issue is China; India's issue is Pakistan. The interest of both has become one because of CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor). This is the basis of their new pacts. This is the preparation for a terrifying war. They believe that if this project of Pakistan and China succeeds, the entire Muslim world will stand beside Pakistan, and the new defence and economic pacts that will take place will oust America not only from this region and the Middle East, but from all important places and waters of the world. America will have to get out of all these places. That is why today, the biggest hurdle before them is Pakistan," said Saeed who now heads the Islamic charity Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD). The council announced that the movement for the defence of Pakistan, restoration of peace and order in the county and the liberation of Kashmir would continue under all circumstances. The meeting also discussed the 3,000 kilometres-long China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) worth USD 46 billion and declared that all efforts would be made to ensure completion of the project, despite opposition from certain quarters. The CPEC is a network of roads, railways and pipelines linking China's west to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan. India has blamed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the group Saeed founded in the 1990s, for the deaths of 166 people during the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai, and has called on Pakistan to bring him to justice. Pakistan, however, has asked for more evidence. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India-US military pacts are preparation for terrifying war: LeT founder Hafeez Saeed

Indian home minister Rajnath Singh will be travelling to Pakistan as per schedule, sources at the ministry of external affairs said today. This is despite Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed&#39;s warning of a countrywide protest by his outfit. 
 
Singh is scheduled to visit Pakistan on August 3, to attend a SAARC ministerial conference. 
 
Accusing Singh of being &quot;responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris&quot;, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has warned of a countrywide protest in Pakistan if the Indian minister travels to the country.&nbsp;Sources, however, said, &quot;The visit is on track. India attains highest priority to SAARC. The visit is strictly to abide by our SAARC commitments.&quot;&nbsp;They also said that the host country (Pakistan) is responsible for the home minister&#39;s security. 
 
The alleged mastermind of the 2008 terror attack in western city of Mumbai in a statement said, &quot;If Singh comes to Islamabad on August 3, the JuD would hold countrywide protest to tell the world that the Pakistani rulers might have compulsions to receive Kashmiris&#39; killers, but the people of Pakistan are siding with oppressed Kashmiris.&quot; 
 
&quot;I want to ask the Pakistani government will it add insult to injury to the wounds of Kashmiris by welcoming Rajnath who is responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;It will be ironical, as on the one hand the whole Pakistani nation is protesting against the Indian atrocities in Kashmir, and on the other hand the Pakistani rulers will be garlanding Singh,&quot; said the statement . 
 
External affairs ministry has also made it clear that there will be no bilateral meeting between Singh and Pakistani leaders during his visit on August 3 and 4. 
 
India and Pakistan are witnessing growing bitterness after Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made provocative statements on the Kashmir situation in the wake of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani&#39;s killing on July 8. 
 
Not only did Sharif praise Wani but he also remarked that &quot;Kashmir will one day become Pakistan&quot;, a comment which evoked a sharp reaction from External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who said his dream of the state becoming a part of his country &quot;will not be realised even at the end of eternity&quot;. 
 
Further needling India, Pakistan has demanded an independent inquiry into the &quot;extrajudicial&quot; killing of Wani, and claimed that the denial of &quot;plebiscite&quot; to Kashmiri people was behind the flare-up in the Valley. 
 
(DNA)

Singh will be travelling to Pakistan as per schedule, despite JuD chief Hafiz Saeed's warnings of a countrywide protest by his outfit

Indian home minister Rajnath Singh will be travelling to Pakistan as per schedule, sources at the ministry of external affairs said today. This is despite Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed's warning of a countrywide protest by his outfit. Singh is scheduled to visit Pakistan on August 3, to attend a SAARC ministerial conference. Accusing Singh of being "responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris", JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has warned of a countrywide protest in Pakistan if the Indian minister travels to the country. Sources, however, said, "The visit is on track. India attains highest priority to SAARC. The visit is strictly to abide by our SAARC commitments." They also said that the host country (Pakistan) is responsible for the home minister's security. The alleged mastermind of the 2008 terror attack in western city of Mumbai in a statement said, "If Singh comes to Islamabad on August 3, the JuD would hold countrywide protest to tell the world that the Pakistani rulers might have compulsions to receive Kashmiris' killers, but the people of Pakistan are siding with oppressed Kashmiris." "I want to ask the Pakistani government will it add insult to injury to the wounds of Kashmiris by welcoming Rajnath who is responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris," he said. "It will be ironical, as on the one hand the whole Pakistani nation is protesting against the Indian atrocities in Kashmir, and on the other hand the Pakistani rulers will be garlanding Singh," said the statement . External affairs ministry has also made it clear that there will be no bilateral meeting between Singh and Pakistani leaders during his visit on August 3 and 4. India and Pakistan are witnessing growing bitterness after Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made provocative statements on the Kashmir situation in the wake of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani's killing on July 8. Not only did Sharif praise Wani but he also remarked that "Kashmir will one day become Pakistan", a comment which evoked a sharp reaction from External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who said his dream of the state becoming a part of his country "will not be realised even at the end of eternity". Further needling India, Pakistan has demanded an independent inquiry into the "extrajudicial" killing of Wani, and claimed that the denial of "plebiscite" to Kashmiri people was behind the flare-up in the Valley. (DNA)

SAARC summit: 'Pakistan responsible for Indian home minister Rajnath Singh's security'

India will not issue visa to members of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a terror organisation headed by Hafiz Saeed, if they want to visit the strife-torn northern state of Jammu and Kashmir to treat those who were injured in recent clashes with security forces. 
 
JuD&#39;s&nbsp;head Hafiz Saeed is believed to be the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks. 
 
&quot;The question does not arise at all. No question of granting visa to Jamaat-ud-Dawa members,&quot; a senior government official said. 
 
The official was reacting when asked about reports that 30 members of JuD comprising doctors and paramedical staff have applied for Indian visas to visit Kashmir for treatment of the injured there. 
 
According to the report from Lahore, the applicants have taken a plea in the visa application that they want to go to Kashmir to treat the people injured in clashes with the security forces &#39;on humanitarian ground&#39;. 
 
The 30-member team includes 15 doctors and eye specialists, the report said. 
 
(PTI) 
 
&nbsp;

'The question does not arise at all,' said a senior government officer. The JuD is headed by 2008 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed

India will not issue visa to members of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a terror organisation headed by Hafiz Saeed, if they want to visit the strife-torn northern state of Jammu and Kashmir to treat those who were injured in recent clashes with security forces. JuD's head Hafiz Saeed is believed to be the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks. "The question does not arise at all. No question of granting visa to Jamaat-ud-Dawa members," a senior government official said. The official was reacting when asked about reports that 30 members of JuD comprising doctors and paramedical staff have applied for Indian visas to visit Kashmir for treatment of the injured there. According to the report from Lahore, the applicants have taken a plea in the visa application that they want to go to Kashmir to treat the people injured in clashes with the security forces 'on humanitarian ground'. The 30-member team includes 15 doctors and eye specialists, the report said. (PTI)

No visa for Jamaat-ud-Dawa members: India

Pakistan&#39;s &quot;obsession&quot; to match India in military strength and efforts to equalise the field with &quot;crazies&quot; like Hafiz Saeed, would only create hatred which will bite it back, former Pakistan ambassador to US Husain Haqqani has said. 
 
&quot;My argument as a Pakistani is why do we even want to be equal (with India in terms of military prowess). Why do not we want to be happier and prosperous and successful,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;What is this obsession about being equal and trying to equalise the field with crazies like Hafiz Saeed because he will only create hatred, which will only bite us back,&quot; Haqqani said in Bengaluru last night during an interaction on his book &#39;India vs Pakistan - Why Can&#39;t We Just Be Friends&#39;. 
 
&quot;Pakistan always had this presumption that India has a tremendous conventional military advantage and Indian army will be much more bigger than Pakistan&#39;s. So Pakistan needs irregular methods to be able to be equal,&quot; he alleged. 
 
Haqqani recalled a private conversation of former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf with Pakistani newspaper editors, wherein he said Lashkar-e-Taiba was his reserve core for fighting India and thus establishes the strong nexus between ISI, terrorists and Pakistani establishment. 
 
&quot;He (Musharraf), in a private meeting with Pakistani newspaper editors, had said &#39;Well all of you keep telling me or some of you keep telling me that I should shut down Lashkar e -Taiba, but it is actually my reserve core in fighting India,&#39; a fact that establishes a strong nexus between ISI, terrorists and Pakistani establishment,&quot; Haqqani said. 
 
The former Pakistani envoy said it was disturbing to know that a head of a country had thought so as these terrorists &quot;would not do good to Pakistan&quot; as the world had seen them attacking Shias, Ahmediyas and Christians in Pakistan, apart from India. 
 
Haqqani said unfortunately Pakistani strategic thinkers in uniform do not realise this &quot;disturbing line of thinking of patronising terrorists and outfits like Jaish-E-Mohammad and Lashkar-E-Taiba.&quot; 
 
Throwing light on the &#39;Jihadi movement&#39; in Pakistan, the former diplomat said Zia-Ul-Haq was not the first man to spread &#39;jihadi awareness&#39; as is presumed, but it was much before him. 
 
&quot;There is a presumption that Zia-Ul-Haq was the first man to start jihadi awareness, but I argue that no it was even further back and there was always a desire for irregular warfare,&quot; he said. 
 
Asked how to shut down the large armed militias, Haqqani said it was not easy because they are well trained in warfare. 
 
But the establishment can put them out of business if they are denied the resources for their mobility and movement, he said. 
 
&quot;If we make this decision now it will take some 15 years to put their business out,&quot; Haqqani added.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI) 
&nbsp;

Haqqani recalled Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf's words that Lashkar-e-Taiba was his reserve core for fighting India

Pakistan's "obsession" to match India in military strength and efforts to equalise the field with "crazies" like Hafiz Saeed, would only create hatred which will bite it back, former Pakistan ambassador to US Husain Haqqani has said. "My argument as a Pakistani is why do we even want to be equal (with India in terms of military prowess). Why do not we want to be happier and prosperous and successful," he said. "What is this obsession about being equal and trying to equalise the field with crazies like Hafiz Saeed because he will only create hatred, which will only bite us back," Haqqani said in Bengaluru last night during an interaction on his book 'India vs Pakistan - Why Can't We Just Be Friends'. "Pakistan always had this presumption that India has a tremendous conventional military advantage and Indian army will be much more bigger than Pakistan's. So Pakistan needs irregular methods to be able to be equal," he alleged. Haqqani recalled a private conversation of former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf with Pakistani newspaper editors, wherein he said Lashkar-e-Taiba was his reserve core for fighting India and thus establishes the strong nexus between ISI, terrorists and Pakistani establishment. "He (Musharraf), in a private meeting with Pakistani newspaper editors, had said 'Well all of you keep telling me or some of you keep telling me that I should shut down Lashkar e -Taiba, but it is actually my reserve core in fighting India,' a fact that establishes a strong nexus between ISI, terrorists and Pakistani establishment," Haqqani said. The former Pakistani envoy said it was disturbing to know that a head of a country had thought so as these terrorists "would not do good to Pakistan" as the world had seen them attacking Shias, Ahmediyas and Christians in Pakistan, apart from India. Haqqani said unfortunately Pakistani strategic thinkers in uniform do not realise this "disturbing line of thinking of patronising terrorists and outfits like Jaish-E-Mohammad and Lashkar-E-Taiba." Throwing light on the 'Jihadi movement' in Pakistan, the former diplomat said Zia-Ul-Haq was not the first man to spread 'jihadi awareness' as is presumed, but it was much before him. "There is a presumption that Zia-Ul-Haq was the first man to start jihadi awareness, but I argue that no it was even further back and there was always a desire for irregular warfare," he said. Asked how to shut down the large armed militias, Haqqani said it was not easy because they are well trained in warfare. But the establishment can put them out of business if they are denied the resources for their mobility and movement, he said. "If we make this decision now it will take some 15 years to put their business out," Haqqani added. (PTI)

Former Pakistan diplomat points to nexus between ISI and terrorists, says hobnobbing with 'crazies' like Hafiz Saeed will backfire

India&#39;s ministry of external affairs (MEA) today condemned the remark made by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, that &quot;Kashmir will one day become Pakistan&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
India&#39;s MEA issued a strong statement: &quot;The whole of India would like to tell Prime Minister of Pakistan that this dream will not be realised even at the end of eternity. The whole of Jammu and Kashmir belongs to India. You will never be able to make this heaven on earth a haven for terrorists.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The official statement also criticised Pakistan&#39;s reactions over the recent spike in violence in Kashmir after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani&#39;s death:&nbsp; 
 
&quot;In the last few days, leadership of Pakistan, including its Prime Minister has praised as martyr, a wanted terrorist Commander of the banned terrorist organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Burhan Wani. He was carrying an award of Rs 10 Lakh on his head because he had perpetrated heinous crimes, including murder of elected representatives of local bodies and security forces.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The statement further added, &quot;Even more condemnable than these deplorable attempts from across our border to incite violence and glorify terrorists is the fact that these attempts have been undertaken by Pakistan&rsquo;s state machinery in active partnership with UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed and other leading terrorists belonging to internationally proscribed organisations.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Hafiz Saeed 
 
Hafiz Saeed had expressed solidarity with a key separtist leader of Kashmir, Asiya Andrabi, on Friday.&nbsp;Saeed, a Pakistani Islamist with a $10 million bounty on his head, warned India of war if separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani&#39;s four-point solution to the Kashmir issue is not accepted. 
 
Widespread agitation in Kashmir since then has left over 40 dead and 3,100 injured, most of them by police fire, in the worst outbreak of violence in six years, triggering massive protests in Pakistan. 
 
(WION, with inputs from Reuters)

The Indian foreign ministry was reacting to the Pakistan PM's remark that 'Kashmir will one day become Pakistan'

India's ministry of external affairs (MEA) today condemned the remark made by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, that "Kashmir will one day become Pakistan". India's MEA issued a strong statement: "The whole of India would like to tell Prime Minister of Pakistan that this dream will not be realised even at the end of eternity. The whole of Jammu and Kashmir belongs to India. You will never be able to make this heaven on earth a haven for terrorists." The official statement also criticised Pakistan's reactions over the recent spike in violence in Kashmir after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's death: "In the last few days, leadership of Pakistan, including its Prime Minister has praised as martyr, a wanted terrorist Commander of the banned terrorist organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Burhan Wani. He was carrying an award of Rs 10 Lakh on his head because he had perpetrated heinous crimes, including murder of elected representatives of local bodies and security forces." The statement further added, "Even more condemnable than these deplorable attempts from across our border to incite violence and glorify terrorists is the fact that these attempts have been undertaken by Pakistan’s state machinery in active partnership with UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed and other leading terrorists belonging to internationally proscribed organisations." Hafiz Saeed Hafiz Saeed had expressed solidarity with a key separtist leader of Kashmir, Asiya Andrabi, on Friday. Saeed, a Pakistani Islamist with a $10 million bounty on his head, warned India of war if separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's four-point solution to the Kashmir issue is not accepted. Widespread agitation in Kashmir since then has left over 40 dead and 3,100 injured, most of them by police fire, in the worst outbreak of violence in six years, triggering massive protests in Pakistan. (WION, with inputs from Reuters)

Your dream of Kashmir as part of Pakistan will never come true, India tells PM Sharif

Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed today said he had received a call from Asiya Andrabi, the founder of the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, seeking his help to resolve what she called the crisis in India&#39;s northern state of Kashmir. Addressing a rally here, Saeed said, &quot;The way Indian security forces are engaged in bloodshed in Kashmir, my sister Asiya Andrabi cried for 15 minutes and told me over phone that my brothers where are you?&quot; 
 
&quot;I am telling my sister Asiya that my sister, we are coming. This act of violence will come to end and nobody can stop Kashmir from becoming independent,&quot; he added. Saeed further said that he had also received a call from Burhan Wani (Hizbul Mujahideen militant), wherein he had said, &quot;His (Wanis) last wish was to talk to me (Saeed)&quot;. 
 
&quot;Few days before his death, Burhan Wani told me over a phone that it was my desire to talk with you. Now my desire has been fulfilled, and now, I am waiting for martyrdom,&quot; said Saeed in an event organized to express solidarity with both Andrabi and Wani. 
 
&quot;I want to assure the people of Kashmir that if you are in the field, we are also with you,&quot; said the Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader. He also warned India that this was its last chance to accept separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani&#39;s four-point formula on Kashmir and to withdraw security forces from the valley, else the decision will be taken in battlefield. 
 
&quot;We have to give a message to India to stop and withdraw forces and accept Geelani&#39;s four-point formula immediately, because, this is the last chance, and hereafter, the matter will be decided in the battlefield,&quot; said Saeed. 
 
The Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader organised a procession from Lahore to Islamabad. It comprised of trucks and buses, stretched for several kilometers, and passed through many cities, including Gujaranwala, Jhelum and Gujarat. 
 
His rallies were attended by federal ministers and religious leaders of various organisations. The Pakistan Government&#39;s direct links with Hafiz Saeed has been further exposed by Islamabad allowing him to lead an anti-India rally on the Kashmir issue.&nbsp; 
 
Saeed led a Pakistan Government call to Observe July 19 as a Black Day, apparently to draw attention to the &quot;burning issue of Kashmir.&quot; The Obama Administration has been taken aback by this event. 
 
The US has designated both the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) as foreign terrorist organisations. Saeed has also been listed by the UN Security Council&#39;s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.&nbsp; 
 
South Asia watchers in Washington say that by allowing a terrorist to take up a government sponsored cause the Pakistan Government has bared its selective approach towards terrorism. When banned outfits are allowed to openly hold rallies in Pakistan at the behest of the Government the allegations about Pakistan using terror as state policy appears to gain ground. 
 
Experts say had Pakistan banned Saeed from holding this rally and had instead placed someone else in charge of the July 19 protests then that would have been understandable.&nbsp;The question arises why Saeed, is it because he is a terror asset which the state cannot do without, wonder South Asia analysts. They question is Saeed so important that Islamabad is risking an important relationship with the United States. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s irrevocable links with Saeed have disappointed the Obama Administration but have not shocked officials. It was always known in Washington&#39;s South Asia circles that Hafiz Saeed is an asset that the Pakistani State will always protect not standing the fact that he is a designated global terrorist.&nbsp; 
 
The LeT remains active and open in Pakistan and just recently had the audacity to attack Medina in Saudi Arabia in which 12 of its suspected members were arrested. This connection was also highlighted by a European Parliament Report by Vice President Ryszard Czarnecki where he pointed out how the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a charity front of the LeT was radicalising the Pakistani Diaspora and the state was a mute spectator. 
 
The July 19 Kashmir Rally is certain to be brought up on Capitol Hill where proposals are afoot to cut financial aid to Pakistan in the absence of complete and verifiable de-linkage with terror groups. 
 
While the Obama Administration has been supporting Pakistan as an important ally in the war against terror, this July 19 rally, where a wanted terrorist has been given state patronage, is certain to raise questions and embarrass Washington. 
 
(ANI)

Addressing a rally in Pakistan, Saeed said he has assured Andrabi that nobody can stop Kashmir from becoming independent

Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed today said he had received a call from Asiya Andrabi, the founder of the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, seeking his help to resolve what she called the crisis in India's northern state of Kashmir. Addressing a rally here, Saeed said, "The way Indian security forces are engaged in bloodshed in Kashmir, my sister Asiya Andrabi cried for 15 minutes and told me over phone that my brothers where are you?" "I am telling my sister Asiya that my sister, we are coming. This act of violence will come to end and nobody can stop Kashmir from becoming independent," he added. Saeed further said that he had also received a call from Burhan Wani (Hizbul Mujahideen militant), wherein he had said, "His (Wanis) last wish was to talk to me (Saeed)". "Few days before his death, Burhan Wani told me over a phone that it was my desire to talk with you. Now my desire has been fulfilled, and now, I am waiting for martyrdom," said Saeed in an event organized to express solidarity with both Andrabi and Wani. "I want to assure the people of Kashmir that if you are in the field, we are also with you," said the Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader. He also warned India that this was its last chance to accept separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's four-point formula on Kashmir and to withdraw security forces from the valley, else the decision will be taken in battlefield. "We have to give a message to India to stop and withdraw forces and accept Geelani's four-point formula immediately, because, this is the last chance, and hereafter, the matter will be decided in the battlefield," said Saeed. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader organised a procession from Lahore to Islamabad. It comprised of trucks and buses, stretched for several kilometers, and passed through many cities, including Gujaranwala, Jhelum and Gujarat. His rallies were attended by federal ministers and religious leaders of various organisations. The Pakistan Government's direct links with Hafiz Saeed has been further exposed by Islamabad allowing him to lead an anti-India rally on the Kashmir issue. Saeed led a Pakistan Government call to Observe July 19 as a Black Day, apparently to draw attention to the "burning issue of Kashmir." The Obama Administration has been taken aback by this event. The US has designated both the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) as foreign terrorist organisations. Saeed has also been listed by the UN Security Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee. South Asia watchers in Washington say that by allowing a terrorist to take up a government sponsored cause the Pakistan Government has bared its selective approach towards terrorism. When banned outfits are allowed to openly hold rallies in Pakistan at the behest of the Government the allegations about Pakistan using terror as state policy appears to gain ground. Experts say had Pakistan banned Saeed from holding this rally and had instead placed someone else in charge of the July 19 protests then that would have been understandable. The question arises why Saeed, is it because he is a terror asset which the state cannot do without, wonder South Asia analysts. They question is Saeed so important that Islamabad is risking an important relationship with the United States. Pakistan's irrevocable links with Saeed have disappointed the Obama Administration but have not shocked officials. It was always known in Washington's South Asia circles that Hafiz Saeed is an asset that the Pakistani State will always protect not standing the fact that he is a designated global terrorist. The LeT remains active and open in Pakistan and just recently had the audacity to attack Medina in Saudi Arabia in which 12 of its suspected members were arrested. This connection was also highlighted by a European Parliament Report by Vice President Ryszard Czarnecki where he pointed out how the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a charity front of the LeT was radicalising the Pakistani Diaspora and the state was a mute spectator. The July 19 Kashmir Rally is certain to be brought up on Capitol Hill where proposals are afoot to cut financial aid to Pakistan in the absence of complete and verifiable de-linkage with terror groups. While the Obama Administration has been supporting Pakistan as an important ally in the war against terror, this July 19 rally, where a wanted terrorist has been given state patronage, is certain to raise questions and embarrass Washington. (ANI)

Hafiz Saeed assures help to 'sister' Asiya Andrabi

When Hafiz Saeed, a Pakistani Islamist wanted in the United States and India, led a kilometre-and-a-half long caravan of supporters on an anti-India protest march across Pakistan to the capital this week, the story was not aired by local TV channels. 
 
Also absent from the airwaves earlier this year were images of the nearly 100,000 hardliners who packed the funeral of executed assassin Mumtaz Qadri, hailing him a hero for killing a governor who advocated reforming Pakistan&#39;s draconian blasphemy laws. 
 
The blackouts are the most vivid examples of changing editorial behaviour prompted by a little-reported provision in Pakistan&#39;s National Action Plan, a counter-terrorism strategy that in effect bans broadcast media from covering Islamist militants. 
 
But in a country with a fast-growing but still young broadcast media, Pakistan&#39;s critics worry that rules intended to fight militancy will spill over into wider limits on criticism of the government or powerful military that could undermine a fragile democracy. 
 
&quot;Projecting militants is undesirable but a blackout does not serve the public interest,&quot; said Raza Rumi, a Pakistani broadcast journalist who is currently a scholar-in-residence at Ithaca College in the United States. 
 
&quot;For public accountability it is important that carefully edited information on militants is aired so that the public can assess the efficacy of state operations against terrorism.&quot; 
 
Pakistan announced the 20-point National Action Plan after Taliban gunmen attacked a military-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar in December 2014 and killed 134 children and 19 adults. 
 
The plan&#39;s main thrusts include expanded counter-terrorism raids, secret military courts and the resumption of hangings. 
But it also contains clauses banning &quot;glorification of terrorism and terrorist organisations through print and electronic media&quot; and calling for &quot;measures against abuse of internet and social media for terrorism&quot;. 
 
Media Regulatory Authority warns against usage of provocative content 
 
Under the plan, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has sent dozens of warning letters to TV networks in recent months, and imposed fines for airing content that incites religious hatred or promotes violence. 
 
This included fining a channel whose host likened members of the Hindu minority to &quot;dogs&quot; and issuing warnings to a popular news station that interviewed a woman who said she had gone to Syria to join the Islamic State. 
 
PEMRA chief Absar Alam, a former journalist, told Reuters banning such content was not censorship but rather &quot;a call to be responsible&quot;. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve worked in Pakistan, I&#39;ve worked for international organisations but I haven&#39;t seen the kind of irresponsibility and violation of codes as in Pakistan,&quot; Alam said. 
 
&quot;We want Pakistani media to avoid promoting extremist views. There should be balance.&quot; 
On Qadri&#39;s funeral, Alam said he did not order a media blackout, but merely issued a reminder of the law&#39;s provisions. &quot;It was a warning, not a single word asks them to stop covering news,&quot; he said. 
 
But some worry that the broadcasters are also being steered away from covering legitimate stories. 
Two years ago, events such as Qadri&#39;s funeral or this week&#39;s March by Saeed, who operates with no fear of arrest despite a $10 million U.S. bounty over his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, would have been extensively reported on TV. 
 
&quot;There seem to be quiet guidelines and you can&#39;t afford not to follow them,&quot; said Abbas Nasir, a former editor for the BBC World Service and Pakistan&#39;s Dawn newspaper. 
 
Overt censorship or quality control?&nbsp; 
 
Many journalists in Pakistan, however, support the blackout. 
&quot;Media is oxygen for militants,&quot; said a former managing director of state-owned Pakistan Television, who declined to be named because of the nature of his new job. 
 
&quot;On one hand you are trying to bleed them and then you want to keep giving them oxygen? That makes no sense.&quot; 
 
Pakistan&#39;s largest news network, Geo News, was ordered off air for 15 days by the PEMRA in 2014 - one of the few examples of overt censorship in recent years - after accusing the army&#39;s intelligence arm of an attack on one of its leading anchors. 
 
But Geo was happy to go along with the blackout in coverage of the Qadri funeral. 
 
&quot;It is a show of maturity by the media and it is not imposed,&quot; Muaaz Ahsan, chief of programming at Geo, said. &quot;There was across the board agreement that giving these elements airtime is detrimental to society at large.&quot; 
 
A few years ago, Pakistani Taliban spokesmen would call in and claim responsibility for attacks on live television. 
Today, news channels rarely even report such claims. 
 
&quot;They don&#39;t want people to know the real situation,&quot; Taliban spokesman Muhammad Khurasani told Reuters. &quot;In the near future, the whole world will see how we handle media.&quot; 
 
There have been several attacks on local TV stations since the anti-terrorism law&#39;s introduction. 
 
Since the army launched an operation against militant strongholds near the Afghan border in 2013, it has earned broad support from a Pakistani population, including its media. 
 
But while analysts support erasing militant groups from the airwaves, they say the blackout has come hand-in-hand with ignoring the alleged excesses of security forces. 
 
&quot;The media owes it to the blood of our soldiers to question what is going on, to tell all sides of the story,&quot; Abbas Nasir, the former editor, said. &quot;Otherwise we are just not doing our job.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Pakistan's broadcast media worries that rules intended to fight militancy will spill over into wider limits on criticism of the government

When Hafiz Saeed, a Pakistani Islamist wanted in the United States and India, led a kilometre-and-a-half long caravan of supporters on an anti-India protest march across Pakistan to the capital this week, the story was not aired by local TV channels. Also absent from the airwaves earlier this year were images of the nearly 100,000 hardliners who packed the funeral of executed assassin Mumtaz Qadri, hailing him a hero for killing a governor who advocated reforming Pakistan's draconian blasphemy laws. The blackouts are the most vivid examples of changing editorial behaviour prompted by a little-reported provision in Pakistan's National Action Plan, a counter-terrorism strategy that in effect bans broadcast media from covering Islamist militants. But in a country with a fast-growing but still young broadcast media, Pakistan's critics worry that rules intended to fight militancy will spill over into wider limits on criticism of the government or powerful military that could undermine a fragile democracy. "Projecting militants is undesirable but a blackout does not serve the public interest," said Raza Rumi, a Pakistani broadcast journalist who is currently a scholar-in-residence at Ithaca College in the United States. "For public accountability it is important that carefully edited information on militants is aired so that the public can assess the efficacy of state operations against terrorism." Pakistan announced the 20-point National Action Plan after Taliban gunmen attacked a military-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar in December 2014 and killed 134 children and 19 adults. The plan's main thrusts include expanded counter-terrorism raids, secret military courts and the resumption of hangings. But it also contains clauses banning "glorification of terrorism and terrorist organisations through print and electronic media" and calling for "measures against abuse of internet and social media for terrorism". Media Regulatory Authority warns against usage of provocative content Under the plan, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has sent dozens of warning letters to TV networks in recent months, and imposed fines for airing content that incites religious hatred or promotes violence. This included fining a channel whose host likened members of the Hindu minority to "dogs" and issuing warnings to a popular news station that interviewed a woman who said she had gone to Syria to join the Islamic State. PEMRA chief Absar Alam, a former journalist, told Reuters banning such content was not censorship but rather "a call to be responsible". "I've worked in Pakistan, I've worked for international organisations but I haven't seen the kind of irresponsibility and violation of codes as in Pakistan," Alam said. "We want Pakistani media to avoid promoting extremist views. There should be balance." On Qadri's funeral, Alam said he did not order a media blackout, but merely issued a reminder of the law's provisions. "It was a warning, not a single word asks them to stop covering news," he said. But some worry that the broadcasters are also being steered away from covering legitimate stories. Two years ago, events such as Qadri's funeral or this week's March by Saeed, who operates with no fear of arrest despite a $10 million U.S. bounty over his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, would have been extensively reported on TV. "There seem to be quiet guidelines and you can't afford not to follow them," said Abbas Nasir, a former editor for the BBC World Service and Pakistan's Dawn newspaper. Overt censorship or quality control? Many journalists in Pakistan, however, support the blackout. "Media is oxygen for militants," said a former managing director of state-owned Pakistan Television, who declined to be named because of the nature of his new job. "On one hand you are trying to bleed them and then you want to keep giving them oxygen? That makes no sense." Pakistan's largest news network, Geo News, was ordered off air for 15 days by the PEMRA in 2014 - one of the few examples of overt censorship in recent years - after accusing the army's intelligence arm of an attack on one of its leading anchors. But Geo was happy to go along with the blackout in coverage of the Qadri funeral. "It is a show of maturity by the media and it is not imposed," Muaaz Ahsan, chief of programming at Geo, said. "There was across the board agreement that giving these elements airtime is detrimental to society at large." A few years ago, Pakistani Taliban spokesmen would call in and claim responsibility for attacks on live television. Today, news channels rarely even report such claims. "They don't want people to know the real situation," Taliban spokesman Muhammad Khurasani told Reuters. "In the near future, the whole world will see how we handle media." There have been several attacks on local TV stations since the anti-terrorism law's introduction. Since the army launched an operation against militant strongholds near the Afghan border in 2013, it has earned broad support from a Pakistani population, including its media. But while analysts support erasing militant groups from the airwaves, they say the blackout has come hand-in-hand with ignoring the alleged excesses of security forces. "The media owes it to the blood of our soldiers to question what is going on, to tell all sides of the story," Abbas Nasir, the former editor, said. "Otherwise we are just not doing our job." (Reuters)

Pakistan bars extremists from airwaves, sparks censorship debate

Supporters of more than 40 political parties and hard-line religious groups, some of them proscribed for terror activities, will stage a march starting from Lahore to the capital city of Islamabad in Pakistan to show solidarity over the growing unrest in Kashmir in India. The rally will pledge support from the Pakistani establishment for the &#39;liberation of Kashmir&#39; in India. Pakistan has declared July 19 as Kashmir Solidarity Day. 
 
Tehreek e Azaadi Jammu Kashmir (TAJK), a front group of the banned militant organisation Lashkar e Taiba and its charitable affiliate Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), is organising the rally called &#39;Caravan for Kashmir&#39; starting on Tuesday, following a call by its chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed. 
 
Several militant groups focusing on armed jihad in Indian Kashmir are participating in the rally. Cutting across political and ideological lines, groups like Difa e Pakistan Council &ndash; an alliance of more than 40 parties including JuD, Sipah e Sahiba and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, headed by Maulana Sami ul Haque, also known as founding father of Taliban, will take part. 
 
Mohammad Safi, representative of Hurriyat Conference in Pakistan; PoK-based United Jihad Council led by Syed Salahuddin, Hurriyat Conference, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haque, Awami Muslim League, Muslim Conference, Muslim League (Zia faction) and intellectuals including Abdullah Gul (son of former ISI chief Hamid Gul), Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, former prime minister of PoK, Izazul Haq (son of late President Zia-ul-Haq), will take part in the rally. 
 
The road show starting from Shuhada mosque in Lahore will make its way through Gujranwala, Wazirabad, Jhelum and Rawalpindi before reaching Islamabad. &quot;The route can be covered in four hours, but since lakhs are joining, the rally will stop in main cities where leaders will make speeches. It will reach Islamabad the next day,&#39;&#39; media coordinator TAJK, Nadeem Awan, told dna. 
 
The road show is expected to receive wide support from the villages and districts on the route populated by Kashmiri immigrants who have settled in Punjab province after partition. The province is also a major recruitment ground for armed jihadi groups fighting in Kashmir. 
 
Awan said that Kashmiris living in Pakistan wanted to organise a rally to &quot;express their support to the brothers suffering under the atrocities of the Indian army.&#39;&#39; 
 
&quot;The road show will bring national and international attention to the dreadful situation in Kashmir. It will also let our brothers and sisters in Kashmir know they are not alone. Kashmiris are a part of Pakistani blood,&#39;&#39; he said. 
 
The TAJK had organised a similar road show in 2009 on Kashmir Solidarity Day, attended by the top leadership of jihadi groups including the LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. 
 
The rally will collect &#39;funds&#39; or donations from supporters for the Kashmir cause. Awan said that on social media, Kashmiris were posting on shortage of medical supplies and food and money will be collected to send relief across the border. &quot;We will send relief packages of food and medicine. We will also try to send a team of doctors if permission is given for them to travel to Kashmir.&#39;&#39; 
 
The unrest in Kashmir followed by the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani a week ago has caused political frenzy in Pakistan with cabinet ministers in the Nawaz Sharif-led government calling the deaths as &#39;genocide&#39;. 
 
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari accused the foreign policy based on &#39;Sharif-Modi&#39; friendship for failing to address the Kashmir issue. Sharif, the ministry of foreign affairs and LeT chief Saeed issued statements castigating India for &quot;using excessive force against street protestors and civilians&quot;. 
 
The confrontation has resulted in 41 civilian deaths, injuries to over 1,000 persons, censorship on local media and a curfew restricting daily movements to bring the situation under control. 
 
India has rebuffed calls from Pakistan, saying the latter has no right to talk on India&#39;s internal matters. 
 
(DNA)

The rally will seek support from the Pakistani establishment for the 'liberation of Kashmir' in India

Supporters of more than 40 political parties and hard-line religious groups, some of them proscribed for terror activities, will stage a march starting from Lahore to the capital city of Islamabad in Pakistan to show solidarity over the growing unrest in Kashmir in India. The rally will pledge support from the Pakistani establishment for the 'liberation of Kashmir' in India. Pakistan has declared July 19 as Kashmir Solidarity Day. Tehreek e Azaadi Jammu Kashmir (TAJK), a front group of the banned militant organisation Lashkar e Taiba and its charitable affiliate Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), is organising the rally called 'Caravan for Kashmir' starting on Tuesday, following a call by its chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed. Several militant groups focusing on armed jihad in Indian Kashmir are participating in the rally. Cutting across political and ideological lines, groups like Difa e Pakistan Council – an alliance of more than 40 parties including JuD, Sipah e Sahiba and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, headed by Maulana Sami ul Haque, also known as founding father of Taliban, will take part. Mohammad Safi, representative of Hurriyat Conference in Pakistan; PoK-based United Jihad Council led by Syed Salahuddin, Hurriyat Conference, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haque, Awami Muslim League, Muslim Conference, Muslim League (Zia faction) and intellectuals including Abdullah Gul (son of former ISI chief Hamid Gul), Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, former prime minister of PoK, Izazul Haq (son of late President Zia-ul-Haq), will take part in the rally. The road show starting from Shuhada mosque in Lahore will make its way through Gujranwala, Wazirabad, Jhelum and Rawalpindi before reaching Islamabad. "The route can be covered in four hours, but since lakhs are joining, the rally will stop in main cities where leaders will make speeches. It will reach Islamabad the next day,'' media coordinator TAJK, Nadeem Awan, told dna. The road show is expected to receive wide support from the villages and districts on the route populated by Kashmiri immigrants who have settled in Punjab province after partition. The province is also a major recruitment ground for armed jihadi groups fighting in Kashmir. Awan said that Kashmiris living in Pakistan wanted to organise a rally to "express their support to the brothers suffering under the atrocities of the Indian army.'' "The road show will bring national and international attention to the dreadful situation in Kashmir. It will also let our brothers and sisters in Kashmir know they are not alone. Kashmiris are a part of Pakistani blood,'' he said. The TAJK had organised a similar road show in 2009 on Kashmir Solidarity Day, attended by the top leadership of jihadi groups including the LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The rally will collect 'funds' or donations from supporters for the Kashmir cause. Awan said that on social media, Kashmiris were posting on shortage of medical supplies and food and money will be collected to send relief across the border. "We will send relief packages of food and medicine. We will also try to send a team of doctors if permission is given for them to travel to Kashmir.'' The unrest in Kashmir followed by the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani a week ago has caused political frenzy in Pakistan with cabinet ministers in the Nawaz Sharif-led government calling the deaths as 'genocide'. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari accused the foreign policy based on 'Sharif-Modi' friendship for failing to address the Kashmir issue. Sharif, the ministry of foreign affairs and LeT chief Saeed issued statements castigating India for "using excessive force against street protestors and civilians". The confrontation has resulted in 41 civilian deaths, injuries to over 1,000 persons, censorship on local media and a curfew restricting daily movements to bring the situation under control. India has rebuffed calls from Pakistan, saying the latter has no right to talk on India's internal matters. (DNA)

Pakistan: After Hafiz Saeed's call, 40 hardline political parties to collect funds for jihad in Kashmir today

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and the 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has said he will wage a &quot;war&quot; against India to get Pakistani rivers &quot;freed&quot;. 
 
&quot;We are going to wage jihad (war) against India to get our rivers freed,&quot; Saeed said while addressing a gathering of JuD workers in Pakistan&#39;s Sialokot district of Punjab province yesterday. 
 
Saeed, on whose head the US has put a bounty of $10 million, claimed &quot;freedom movement&quot; of the Kashmiris is &quot;gaining momentum day by day&quot;. 
 
Saeed said Dukhtraan-e-Milat&#39;s head Asiya Andrabi told him that situation in Kashmir has &quot;changed&quot; now. 
 
&quot;Asiya Bibi told me by telephone that those who were talking about Independent Kashmir are no more on the scene while young leadership has come forward and it will give a fresh impetus to the freedom campaign,&quot; said Saeed, who founded the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. 
 
Saeed said Pakistan should take serious notice of the United States&#39; warnings which have raised the curtain from its &quot;evil designs&quot; against it. 
 
&quot;Time is ripe now for Pakistan to change its foreign policy with US, Iran and India,&quot; he said. 
 
Saeed also vowed to foil every conspiracy aimed at damaging the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. 
 
(PTI)

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed vows to foil conspiracies aimed at the China-Pakistan Economic corridor

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and the 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has said he will wage a "war" against India to get Pakistani rivers "freed". "We are going to wage jihad (war) against India to get our rivers freed," Saeed said while addressing a gathering of JuD workers in Pakistan's Sialokot district of Punjab province yesterday. Saeed, on whose head the US has put a bounty of $10 million, claimed "freedom movement" of the Kashmiris is "gaining momentum day by day". Saeed said Dukhtraan-e-Milat's head Asiya Andrabi told him that situation in Kashmir has "changed" now. "Asiya Bibi told me by telephone that those who were talking about Independent Kashmir are no more on the scene while young leadership has come forward and it will give a fresh impetus to the freedom campaign," said Saeed, who founded the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Saeed said Pakistan should take serious notice of the United States' warnings which have raised the curtain from its "evil designs" against it. "Time is ripe now for Pakistan to change its foreign policy with US, Iran and India," he said. Saeed also vowed to foil every conspiracy aimed at damaging the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. (PTI)

26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind pledges to wage war to 'free' Pak rivers from India

hafiz-saeed

Hafiz Saeed, News on Hafiz Saeed, stories on Hafiz Saeed, articles on Hafiz Saeed, Hafiz Saeed stories at Wion, Hafiz Saeed news, Hafiz Saeed latest news

hafiz saeed