Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has nothing to do with terror plot: Pak

Islamabad, August 15 (UNI) Pakistan today denied that former chief of the banned Laskhar-e-Taiba Hafiz Muhammad Saeed had any links with last week's foiled terror plot in London.

''Hafiz Saeed is not connected with any terrorist plot or incident,'' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told a press briefing here.

Saeed, who now heads Jamatud Da'awa (JD), the parent organisation of LeT, had been placed under house arrest for one month last Friday but the government did not say anything at that time as to why he was detained at his Lahore residence.

''He (Saeed) has been put under house arrest because of some statements which were not in the public interest,'' Ms Aslam said adding that Saeed has absolutely nothing to do with the London plot.

Asked to comment on reports appearing in the Western media linking Raashid Rauf, a key suspect of the London terror plot, who had been arrested last week in Bahawalpur, to some charity (possibly JD) for earthquake, she said the reports were absurd and aimed at maligning Pakistan.

She said Raashid Rauf has no link whatsoever with any charity.

On the basis of investigations carried out so far Pakistan stands by its statement that the London plot was an Afghanistan-based Al-Qaeda operation, she said.

When her attention was drawn towards anti-Pakistan comments appearing in the Western press in the backdrop of foiled London plot, the spokesperson said those making such remarks were suffering from short memory.

She said seeds of terrorism in this region were sown when thousands of foreigners were brought to the region to fight Soviet invasion in Afghanistan.

These ''commentators'' should remember that it was certainly not Pakistan which created Al-Qaeda and also Pakistan was not in any manner responsible for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which changed the region.

Afghanistan and Pakistan had to bear the heaviest cost of the invasion and we are still facing its consequences, she added.

The leadership of the US and the UK acknowledge role of Pakistan and only recently British Prime Minister Tony Blair telephoned President Pervez Musharraf thanking him for Pakistan's cooperation in unearthing the London plot Ms Aslam said.

About attack on Pakistan's High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, she said it is not yet known whether it was a targetted attack.

''Sri Lankan government is carrying out investigations and we have full confidence in them,'' she said.

UNI XC SK VC1928