Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) leader Hafiz Saeed, considered to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks that killed over 160 people, has slammed the recent developments in relations between India and Pakistan.
Saeed?s words come on the heels of a renewed surge of positive sentiment over the diplomatic relationship between the two nuclear-armed nations that have fought three wars since independence.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?s invitation to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his wife for an eagerly-awaited cricket match between the countries in India last month apparently acted as sweetener to their on-off diplomatic relationship.
The Home Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan too ended on a positive note with the decision that an Indian team will soon visit Pakistan to question 2008 Mumbai terror attack suspects while India shared Samjhauta Express blast probe leads with the neighbouring nation.
In rare public appearance on Monday at the funeral prayers for a prominent Kashmiri cleric and moderate separatist leader Maulana Showket Ahmed, who was killed last week in Srinagar, the JuD chief said trashed the ?cricket diplomacy? between the two nations and vowed jihad (holy war).
He also criticised the Pakistani government for seeking India?s friendship, and expressed his standing for the independence of Kashmir, which he said would inspire Muslims elsewhere to seek freedom from ?the oppression of Hindus”.
“This cricket diplomacy, these so called trade and friendship efforts have no value. We want to be clear about this. We are with the Kashmiri people and will continue to give our full support till they are free. We will stand by the Kashmiri people until they have achieved freedom,” he said to 200-strong gathering in Islamabad.
His provocative speech went similar to his anti-India rants that he is notorious for and he was joined by Abdul Aziz Alvi, the head of the JuD in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, United Jihad Council vice-chairman Muhammad Usman and leaders of the Hurriyat Conference.
New Delhi has frequently demanded action against Saeed, also the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which has been accused of executing the 2008 Mumbai attacks among other militant activities, while Pakistan seems reluctant to take hard action.
Both Saeed and Alvi had been taken into custody as part of the 26/11 invetsigtations due to mounting international pressure, only to be let off soon due to ?inconclusive evidence?.