Anti-India tirades by Hafiz Saeed will not smoothen relations with Pak: Krishna

Islamabad, Jul 14 (ANI): Visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna today said that frequent anti-India statements by the Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Hafiz Saeed, will not help in smoothening of relationship with Pakistan.

On the eve of the Indo- Pak Foreign Ministers’ level talks, India wants Pakistan not to turn a blind eye to the anti-India campaign by terrorists from its soil in the name of freedom of speech.

“Saeed has been consistently making statements to provoke people of Pakistan against India. We have drawn attention of Pakistan that such anti-India tirade will not smoothen relations. We want peaceful relations with Pakistan,” Krishna told reporters at Hotel Serena after his arrival in Islamabad on a three-day visit.

Earlier, Pakistan had said that it could not take action against LeT founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Saeed, and said that his activities were not advancing the effort for better ties.

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao had asked Pakistan to reign in Saeed while reminding Pakistan about its commitment not to allow anti-India terror activities from its soil.

She had said that Home Minister P Chidambaram during his discussions with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik had conveyed India’s hope that Pakistan would to pay attention to the activities of Saeed.

“Our concerns about Hafiz Saeed have been very effectively conveyed to the Pakistani government and it continues to be our hope that Pakistan will pay close attention to what we are saying about individuals like Saeed,” Rao had said. By Smita Prakash (ANI)