Mumbai attacks accused condemns Paris attacks By Sajid Iqbal

BBC Monitoring Published duration 27 November 2015 Related Topics November 2015 Paris attacks

image copyright Reuters image caption Saeed is accused by India of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks which, many say, seem to have inspired the Paris attacks

Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, is among those who have condemned the Paris attacks, terming them an international conspiracy to stop the "unabated" rise of Islam in the West.

Ironically, Saeed is accused by India of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks which, many say, seem to have inspired the Paris attacks.

The Mumbai attacks left 174 dead, including nine gunmen. At least 129 people were killed in Paris attacks.

In an interview with a Pakistani news agency, Saeed said that Muslims in the West in general and France in particular should not be blamed and targeted for the Paris incident.

"The truth is that sometime back, ex-British premier Tony Blair admitted that Western powers created Daesh (Islamic State) and that it was a mistake," Saeed was quoted as saying in the report.

"Daesh is the product of evil Western designs against Muslims and this terrorist organisation is dancing to the tune of the international establishment formed by Western imperialist powers," he added.

International terrorist

This is not the first time that Hafiz Saeed has spoken against Islamic State (IS) which has said it carried out the Paris attacks.

Speaking in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad last week, Hafiz Saeed said that IS was the creation of the United States and Europe and posed a greater threat to Muslims than to anyone else.

He added that with attacks such as the one carried out in France, IS was defaming Islam and strengthening the hands of enemy powers.

image copyright EPA image caption India has insisted that Saeed has played a pivotal role in the Mumbai terror attacks

The comments are all the more interesting when viewed in the context that Saeed has been designated an international terrorist by the United Nations . The US has offered a reward of $10 million for his capture.

Following the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan arrested a number of suspects, including Hafiz Saeed, who spent some time in custody before being released by the courts due to a lack of evidence.

He has always denied any involvement.

In 2009, a court in Pakistan charged seven people in connection with the attacks including Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, another main accused in the Mumbai attacks. India expressed disappointment when a court in Pakistan granted bail to Lakhvi in December 2014.

Cancelled talks

The fallout has continued to affect India-Pakistan relations.

Earlier this year, India moved a resolution at a meeting of the UN Sanctions Committee demanding action against Pakistan, arguing that Lakhvi's release was in violation of UN resolution 1267 that deals with designated entities and individuals.

However, the Indian move was blocked by China on the ground that Delhi had provided insufficient information.

In August 2015, national security advisor-level talks between India and Pakistan were cancelled a day before their scheduled date after Delhi insisted that it was only willing to discuss "terrorism-related issues" and nothing else.

image copyright AFP image caption The Mumbai attacks left 174, including the nine gumen dead

On the domestic front, Hafiz Saeed is under pressure following a gag order issued by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), which prohibits media coverage of all banned groups, including LeT and its affiliates.

The order followed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to the US where he gave a commitment to authorities there that his government would take effective action against LeT.

Hafiz Saeed has challenged the gag order in the Lahore high court.