EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH 'LeT' CHIEF

By Syed Saleem Shezad

"It Will Be Unfortunate Indeed If India Attacks Muridke" - HAFIZ MOHAMMED SAEED

Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) founder, currently Jamaat-ud-Dawa's ameer, lashes out against India for implicating his organisation in the Mumbai terror attacks.

Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) founder Prof Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, currently Jamaat-ud-Dawa’s ameer, is an academician with a smiling face. Invariably dressed in a shalwar-kameez suit, with a Turkish cap, the only cosmetic he uses is henna for his beard. His favourite Quranic verse is ‘Wajahidu Fee Sabilallah (Wage a holy war in the name of God Almighty)’. In his sermons he often says: "God has ordained every Muslim to fight until His rule is established." Saeed’s instrument to implement "God’s order" is the Lashkar. In this interview with HNN, Hafiz Saeed lashes out against India for implicating his organisation in the Mumbai terror attacks.

What’s your response to India’s allegation that the Mumbai attacks had a Pakistani hand?
Like any other patriotic Pakistani, I strongly refute these allegations. There is a general impression that the Indian leadership is using Pakistan as a punching bag to cover up its failures at home. Instead of blaming Pakistan, India should have acted as a responsible country, shown patience and focused on investigating the attacks to find out the real culprits. It’s not for the first time that the Indians have blamed Pakistan for their own failures, although none of these has proven true so far. For instance, the Indian leadership was quick to blame Pakistan for masterminding the 2007 Samjhauta Express and Malegaon 2008 tragedies. Yet their own security and intelligence agencies have finally arrested an Indian army officer, Lt Col Purohit, as the actual mastermind.

But the Mumbai attacker who was arrested alive has confessed to the Indian authorities that he is a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant from Pakistan.
Every time there is a major terrorist activity on Indian soil, the Indian officials come out with such cooked-up confessional statements. The Indian authorities are not at all interested in holding proper investigations into the Mumbai episode. They are only interested in blaming Pakistan, which is evident from the fact that they started naming Pakistan even while the operation was still under way.

Are you saying the Lashkar was not involved in the recent attacks in Mumbai?
Technically speaking, I’m not authorised to speak for the Lashkar-e-Toiba. I am the Jamaat-ud-Dawa’s ameer and have nothing to do with the Lashkar. But I can say with authority that the Lashkar does not believe in killing civilians. A Lashkar spokesman in Srinagar has denied the allegations that it was involved in the Mumbai attacks, saying these were actually meant to malign the group and damage the ongoing freedom struggle in the Kashmir Valley.

But the Indian authorities have demanded your extradition, because they think you are the moving spirit behind the Lashkar.
I stepped down as Lashkar ameer in December 2001. It’s now being led by Maulana Abdul Wahid Kashmiri, who’s based in Srinagar.

The Indian authorities allege that you are still being backed by the ISI and your group is linked to Al Qaeda?
They can say anything. I’m not bothered about what they say. I will keep spreading the message of Allah Almighty despite all pressures, knowing fully well that Indians will continue to mislead the world community by linking us to the Lashkar, the ISI, and even Al Qaeda.

How do you react to India’s demand for your extradition?
It’s actually a crude attempt to divert the attention of the Indian people from their massive security and intelligence failure that led to the Mumbai attacks. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa is all about relief and social work and everyone in Pakistan knows about our activities. Even otherwise, let me make it clear that I have never been convicted either in Pakistan or in India on any charge.On the other hand, a criminal case is still pending in Hyderabad, Sindh, against BJP leader L.K. Advani for masterminding [an attempted] murder of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, but Pakistan has never demanded his extradition.

There’s a possibility of an Indian air force attack on the Muridke headquarters of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa.... What is your reaction?
It will be very unfortunate if India resorts to any such attack because Muridke is only used for educational activities. I strongly refute the Indian allegations that the Markaz contains any jehad-related training facility. The Indian allegations are only aimed at hoodwinking the international community.

What will be your response in case the Indians eventually decide to target the Markaz in Muridke?
It’s up to the Pakistani government and the Pakistan army to decide how to react to any such misadventure by the Indians. The army is responsible for safeguarding Pakistan’s geographical frontiers against any external aggression. And like any other patriotic Pakistani, we will also stand behind the armed forces if the Indians resort to any aggression against Pakistan’s sovereignty.