Pakistan Defence Minister Has Suddenly Become 'Indian Mouthpiece' For Saying Hafiz Saeed Is A Threat To The Country

It is as ironic as it can get. Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the Pakistan Defence Minister who has, on more than one occasion, threatened to use the country's nukes against India, has suddenly become an "Indian mouthpiece'.

AFP/ File

Asif invited the wrath of hardline groups in Pakistan after he said Hafiz Saeed "was a threat to the country". He made the comment on Monday while speaking at the Munich Security Conference.

Defending the recent house arrest of Saeed, Asif said the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai Terror attack was a threat to Pakistan.

AFP

But the remarks, as expected haven't gone down well with many in Pakistan who see Saeed as a hero. According to The News International, many have raised objection on his statement.

Mahmoodur Rasheed, a leader of former cricketer Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said Asif's statement "makes him sound like he's India's defence minister, not Pakistan's".

Former Prime Minister of PoK, Sardar Muhammad Attique said government officials like Asif were "issuing media statements to appease India."

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch said the minister "has lost control over his tongue".

Even Saeed's terror outfit, Jamaat-ud- Dawa, which is officially banned, demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif take notice of the defence minister's statement.

AFP

Saeed, the founder of banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and its so-called charity face, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, has a cult-like following in Pakistan, where is seen as a champion of Kashmiri freedom.

Successive Pakistani governments have 'safeguarded' the "strategic asset" even in the face of mounting international pressure.

This changed last month after he was taken into a house arrest, and later put on exit control list. He was named under Pakistan's terror act on Saturday.