Pakistan: Qureshi admits minister 'should've been more sensitive' in sharing dais with Hafiz Saeed

The Foreign minister of Pakistan, who was vocal in criticising India on the UN podium, admitted the fault of his ministerial colleague Qadri and said that he “should have been more sensitive” while sharing the dais with the Lashkar-e-Taiba chief.

Pakistan minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri seen sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed.

New Delhi: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi acknowledged the mistake by Pakistan’s cabinet minister Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri who was seen sharing a dais with the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed earlier this week drawing strong condemnation from India. The  Foreign minister of Pakistan, who was vocal in criticising India on the UN podium, admitted the fault of his ministerial colleague Qadri and said that he “should have been more sensitive” while sharing the dais with the Lashkar-e-Taiba chief, PTI reported. While addressing a gathering in Washington, Qureshi was faced with the question about Qadri showing up side by side with the LeT chief at a meeting in Islamabad. He was quoted as saying “I will go home and certainly ask him why he did that. But what I am told it was an event to highlight the situation in Kashmir.” Though Qureshi admitted that Imran Khan's minister should have shown some sensitivity, he did try to defend him as well. He said that it had nothing to do with Lashkar-e-Taiba as there were other political elements there and Saeed happened to be just one of them. He said: “I think he (Qadri) should've been more sensitive, but it wasn't that he subscribes to his (Saeed's) point of view.” Earlier this week on Monday Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Noor-Ul-Haq Qadri, showed up side by side with Hafiz Saeed who orchestrated November 2008, Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people were killed, at All Parties Conference (APC) organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, in Islamabad. The Difa-e-Pakistan Council is a coalition of over 40 Pakistani political and religious parties that advocate conservative policies. Qadri also raked the Kashmir issue during the meeting. A banner in the background said the conference was in "defence of Pakistan", and mentioned "Kashmir" as well as "threats from India". Hafiz Saeed carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities. His organisation, Jammat-ud-Dawah, was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. Qadri's presence at the event with Saeed justified India's stand that there is no change in Pakistan's attitude towards terrorism after Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed office in August. Qadri’s showed up with the LeT terrorist at a time when Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj had cited Saeed’s example at the United Nations to highlight Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorism. "The killers of 9/11 met their fate; but the mastermind of 26/11 Hafiz Saeed still roams the streets of Pakistan with impunity” she had said launching a scathing attack on Pakistan at the international podium. (With inputs from PTI)