Hafiz walks free in Pakistan |
The United States has put a $10 million bounty on his head, labeling him a terrorist. He is one of the most wanted men in India. Yet, Hafiz Saeed walks free in his home country of Pakistan, denouncing Washington and New Delhi in public speeches.Now the man identified by the U.S. as a founding member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group is weighing in on the flare-up of violence in Kashmir, the mountainous region divided between Pakistani and Indian control, where dozens have died in clashes with protesters after Indian security forces killed a top rebel leader. Saeed accused the U.S. of giving India a free hand to crush the anti-India protests. He warned that it will only lead to an escalation of violence. But U.S. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau disagreed with the suggestion by Saeed and others that the U.S. is responsible for the crackdown. Saeed threatened to lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the U.S. if it cannot convince Washington to intervene in the decades-old Kashmir dispute. India declared the death of the 22-year-old Wani to be a major victory over the insurgency.
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