Zeenews Bureau
Islamabad: As tensions continue to simmer between India and Pakistan over the killings of two Indian soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC), Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Saeed on Friday warned New Delhi of an escalation in violence in Jammu and Kashmir.
Saeed, who is accused of masterminding 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in an interview to news agency Reuters said, “We do not want any force to be used or any military operation for this. But the Indians are opting for the other alternative.”
Saeed also accused India of destabilising Pakistan.
LeT founder also "challenged" the Indian government to prove that he was present near the Line of Control a few days ago.
A day after Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that Saeed had visited Pakistan-administered Kashmir a few days before two Indian soldiers were killed by Pakistani troops in Jammu and Kashmir, the Jamat-ud-Dawah chief said in a tweet: "I CHALLENGE the Indian Government, its ministers & agencies to prove my presence near LOC or remain exposed as Liars in front of the world."
The Lashkar-e-Toiba founder termed it a "blatant lie" that he had visited Pakistan-administered Kashmir and said he was prepared to "accept every Indian allegation if they prove my alleged visit at the #LOC".
Saeed also demanded that a UN probe be held into the ceasefire violations on the LoC as well as into "the injustice, rapes, mass-graves and abductions in Occupied #Kashmir".
The JuD chief alleged the exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani forces was due to India "trying to shift focus from its internal problems of #Rape, #Communal Riots and exploiting the sentiments against #Pakistan #LOC".
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Thursday had said Saeed had visited the border areas in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) a few days before the attack on Indian jawans by Pakistani troops.
In the past too, New Delhi has repeatedly expressed its unhappiness to Islamabad over no action against the LeT chief for his alleged role in 26/11 attacks.
In a major escalation to the ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts, a group of Pakistan Army soldiers raided across the LoC in Mendhar sector and killed two Indian soldiers and injured one more. The Pakistani troops attacked an area domination patrol party of the Indian Army.
Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh were the two Indian soldiers killed brutally by the Pakistani troops.
Pakistan has alleged that Indian troops killed a Pakistani soldier in firing Thursday and lodged a protest with the Indian envoy in Islamabad.
First Published: Friday, January 11, 2013, 17:56