Home Minister Rajnath Singh had decided to go to Pakistan to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting after Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed issued a threat against his visit, a senior North Block official said on Wednesday.
While the government was still debating about Mr. Singh’s participation in the SAARC Interior Minister’s conference on August 3-4 in Islamabad, Hafiz Saeed’s open threat proved to be the catalyst. “Hafiz Saeed dared the Home Minister to visit Pakistan. We couldn’t have taken this lightly. He decided to go since not participating in the conference would have sent a wrong message that India cowed down under Hafiz Saeed’s threats,” said the North Block official.
Saeed messageOn August 1, Hafiz Saeed posted a video message and warned the Pakistan government of dire consequences if Mr. Singh visited Islamabad.
Saeed had said in the video message that Pakistan government should not host Mr. Singh as he was responsible for the killing of Kashmiris in wake of the protests that erupted in the valley after Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8.
“Even when the Home Minister reached Islamabad, on way to the hotel, we could see number of protesters on the road. The Pakistan government might not have orchestrated the protests but they were too close for comfort. Imagine, a terrorist outfit protesting with impunity in India during the visit of an international leader?” asked the official.
After returning from Pakistan, Mr. Singh had told the Parliament, “Keeping in mind the country's prestige, I did what I should have done. I have no complaints.”
