LAHORE, Dec 4: Jamaatud Dawaa officials yesterday denied that the organisation was in any way linked to militant activities and highlighted its social welfare work.

Addressing a press briefing at their sprawling 75-acre complex in Muridke, 30km from here, Jamaat’s deputy spokesman Abdullah Muntazir refuted “propaganda” being aired against them and said they had called media personnel to clear their names.

Referring to reports in the foreign media that the complex was heavily guarded, Mr Muntazir asked journalists to move freely around everywhere. He offered to guide them through the residential and educational blocks, hostels and science complex.

M. Saleem, an agriculture scientist and member of Jamaatud Dawaa, spoke about the group’s welfare initiatives, including a 140-bed hospital the organisation had set up for local people and their 2,300 schools, 2,000 dispensaries and 12 field hospitals.

Yahya Mujaid, a spokesman of the group, told this correspondent that although the group offered ‘philosophical’ support to militants in Kashmir, the Dawaa condemned the Mumbai attacks and said that neither they nor Lashkar-i-Taiba was involved in it.

On the status of the group’s spiritual leader, Hafiz Saeed, Mr Muntazir stated that the government of Pakistan was “not yet so weak that it would hand over its own citizens to India”.