India to push Hafiz Saeed case with US

India will make a concerted effort with the United States to force Pakistan to take stern action against Hafiz Saeed, particularly what the intelligence agencies describe as his role in instigating recent violence in the Kashmir Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter.

Government sources said home minister Rajnath Singh will personally take up the issue with the US authorities during his visit, which is likely to take place sometime in August end. Both Hafiz Saeed and Dawood Ibrahim, who is also said to be operating out of Pakistan, have been designated as global terrorist by the United Nations following consistent efforts by Indian security agencies.

The home minister was scheduled to travel to US this month for the homeland security dialogue, but postponed the visit following violence in the Valley. Intelligence agencies are already preparing an elaborate dossier as to how Hafiz Saeed used his network of operatives in Kashmir to instigate people into targeting security forces following Burhan Wani’s encounter.

“In a way it’s good that the home minister postponed his US visit as our intelligence agencies have now been able to gather information as to how subversive elements from across the border were responsible for violence in the Valley in which 45 people have been killed,” a senior home ministry official said.

Hafiz Saeed along with Syed Salahuddin, chief of Hizbul Mujahideen, had held a prayer meeting for Burhan Wani at a terror camp in Muzaffarabad, PoK, where he asked the terror cadres to take revenge of the killing of Hizbul commander.

Sources said the home minister will make a strong pitch with his US counterparts that they should use their influence in pressurising Pakistan into taking some stern action against Hafiz Saeed who incidentally is also the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

The home minister may also share details of the investigations with the US agencies that point towards the involvement of Hafiz Saeed and other terror groups operating out of PoK in the recent violence in Kashmir, sources added. The issue of Dawood Ibrahim’s presence in Pakistan will also come up for discussion.

“Since the core issue of homeland security dialogue is better co-operation between India and US on terrorism, the fact that Pakistan is harbouring terror groups active in India has to be discussed during the meeting,” the official added.

Mr Singh is currently on a two-day visit to the Kashmir valley to review the security arrangements, particularly, the further strengthening of the anti-infiltration grid. The home minister has also met a cross section of representatives from political parties and the civil society in a bid to provide the healing touch to people in the Valley.