Hafiz Saeed Praises Pathankot Attack, Encourages Further Violence

Saeed lauded Kashmiri militant leader Sayed Salahuddin, whose group carried out the Pathankot attack.

Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, on Thursday, praised the deadly Pathankot attack that took place at the Indian air base last month and also encouraged further violence.

Addressing a rally of around one thousand people in the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region, Saeed, the leader of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) group said:

800,000 Indian troops are committing genocide on Kashmiris. Don’t they have a right to carry out Pathankot style attacks for their defence?

Hafiz Saeed, JuD leader

Saeed, who remains a free man, lauded Kashmiri militant leader Sayed Salahuddin, who heads the United Jihad Council (UJC) that has claimed responsibility for the attack.

You have only seen one attack on Pathankot. Matters could easily escalate.

Crowds at the rally shouted slogans including “The war will continue until the liberation of Kashmir” and “We are ready for jihad”.

Indian officials believe another group – the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) – was behind the siege.