In a move that further corroborates Pakistan’s rampantly-growing desperation to capitalise on the violence it has managed to propagate in Kashmir following the killing of one of its trusted lieutenants, a team of doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) have applied for an Indian visa.
The visa has been sought on grounds of ‘offering help’ to those who suffered during the violent protests after Hizbul Mujahideen’s top commander Burhan Wani’s killing.
Saeed, the mastermind of the horrific Mumbai attacks, announced Sunday night that his team will seek permission to go to Kashmir, which has been on a boil for more than two weeks following Wani’s encounter.
He also claimed that Burhan had called him over the phone and informed about the operation he was working on.
“A few days before his martyrdom, Burhan Wani told me over the phone that it was his wish to talk to me. He told me that now his wish was fulfilled, he was waiting for martyrdom. A few days later news of his martyrdom came,” Saeed said while addressing the crowd.
He added that Burhan was also in contact with Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and other commanders of Lashkar.
On this, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that the ‘open confession’ of Hafiz Saeed was a clear indication of his role in fomenting trouble in the Kashmir Valley.
Last week, the LeT chief had led a ‘Kashmir Caravan’ from Lahore to Islamabad and vowed to march towards Jammu and Kashmir till the Kashmiris get ‘azadi’.
Saeed, who carries a reward of Rs 67 crore on his head, had demanded Pakistan government to suspend trade with India and ban Bollywood movies in the country.
“We don’t need potato and onion trade with India,” he said.
“Pakistan should call its Ambassador back from India and expel its from Islamabad,” the Lashkar-e-Taiba founder had said, claiming Pakistan is an advocate of Kashmiris and this gesture will give Kashmiris a boost.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan government has also been needling India since mass protests erupted in the Kashmir Valley after Wani’s encounter on July 8. It alleged that India was committing human rights violations in Kashmir which it claimed was a matter of great concern for the world community.
Replying to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s statement that “Kashmir will one day become Pakistan”, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday replied that his dream of Kashmir becoming a part of Pakistan “will not be realised at the end of eternity”.
She also claimed that Pakistan is perpetrating terror activities through Hafiz Saeed.
Lashkar-e-Taiba is suspected of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and was banned in Pakistan in 2015 but Saeed, who leads its charity arm in Pakistan, travels freely and gives speeches inciting people to attack Western and Indian interests.
