Despite threats from JuD, Hizbul, Rajnath to visit Pakistan for SAARC meet

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Pakistan on Thursday despite open threats from terror outfits like Jamaat-ud-Dawaah and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Media reports quoting government sources also confirmed that Rajnath Singh will not hold any bilateral talks with his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the SARC meet.

"India not reconsidering Rajnath Singh's visit. The Home Minister is not heading for a bilateral event. He is heading there for multilateral event,'' Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said.

While referring to the open warnings issued by JuD and Hizbul, Rijiju said, ''It is up to Pakistan to provide security to Rajnath Ji. This shows (threats by Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin) how terrorists operate openly in Pakistan."   

Rajnath Singh's Islamabad visit comes amid a heightened tension between the two nuclear power neighbours following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir last month.

Wani's killing triggered a massive protest in the Valley and resulted in deaths of over 45 people.

Accusing Rajnath Singh of being "responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris", JuD chief Hafiz Saeed had warned of a countrywide protest in Pakistan by his outfit if the Home Minister arrives in Islamabad to attend the SAARC ministerial conference.

"I want to ask the Pakistani government will it add insult to injury to the wounds of Kashmiris by welcoming Rajnath who is responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris," he said in a statement.

"It will be ironical as on the one hand the whole Pakistani nation is protesting against the Indian atrocities in Kashmir and on the other hand the Pakistani rulers will be garlanding Singh," the statement added.