India rejects Pak claim that Saeed not discussed at FS talks

New Delhi, Mar 7 (PTI) India Sunday rejected Pakistan's
claim that Hafiz Saeed, a suspected 26/11 mastermind, did not
figure in the Foreign Secretary-level talks, saying the
"unhindered freedom" he enjoyed there was "strongly" raised
during the parleys.

Expressing "surprise" at the statement of Pakistan which
also claimed that the issue of arrest of Saeed was not taken
up during the February 25 talks here, the External Affairs
Ministry said India has been demanding action against the
Jamaat-ud-Dawah(JuD) chief since the barbaric and dastardly
attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
"Saeed's activities including his recent vitriolic and
venomous statements aimed at fomenting further acts of
terrorism against India and the unhindered public space and
freedom he enjoys in Pakistan was raised strongly by India
during the Foreign Secretary-level talks," Indian External
Affairs Ministry spokesman said in a statement here.
Talking to reporters in Multan, Pakistan Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had claimed that India never
demanded the arrest of Saeed nor discussed the issue at the
talks between Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her
Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir.
In response to queries regarding the reported statement
of Qureshi, the spokesman, while expressing "surprise", said
India has been demanding action against Saeed, one of the
masterminds of the Mumbai terrorist strikes, since the
barbaric and dastardly attacks took place.
"A dossier containing a compilation of evidence on the
involvement of Saeed in the terrorist attacks was handed over
to Pakistan on August 21, 2009 and his name featured
prominently in yet another dossier handed over to the Pakistan
Foreign Secretary during the talks on February 25, 2010," the
ministry statement said. PTI PYK
MYR


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