LAHORE, Jan 21: Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) leadership on Monday demanded India should be declared a ‘terrorist country’ after its home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s admission that Hindu terrorist organisations were involved in the tragic incidents of torching Samjhota Express, besides Maligaon and Makkah mosque incidents.

“The Indian interior minister’s confession about involvement of Hindu extremist and terrorist organisations in various tragedies, such as Samjhota Express burning and other incidents has proved that India is promoting terrorism. So the world should now take up this matter very seriously by declaring it a terrorist country,” JuD chief Hafiz Saeed told reporters at a press conference at Jamia Masjid Al-Qadsia, Chauburji.

Flanked by Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, Maulana Ameer Hamza, Hafiz Muhammad Masood, Yahya Mujahid and other JuD leaders, Hafiz Saeed urged the United States to start drone attacks on India too as Hindu terrorist groups were active there as per Indian minister’s statement.

He accused India and the US of planning to hit Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Giving a free hand to American CIA with regard to drone attacks in Pakistan was a part of this planning, Saeed alleged.

“If the US is serious and sincere in eliminating terrorism in the region, it should immediately initiate drone attacks on training centres of extremist Hindu terrorist organisations,” he said.

He questioned the US leadership for not imposing a ban on Indian terrorist groups and singling out Pakistan in this regard.

The JuD head accused the Indian army of being also involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan.

He said it had been proved that the Indian terrorist groups were also involved in dozens of terrorist activities in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other areas of Pakistan. He said India had always accused Pakistani religious organisations of being involved in terrorism.

“Though India accused us of being involved in Mumbai attacks and terrorism across the Line of Control (LoC), its claims had proved wrong. And now confession of its own minister has made everything crystal clear before all,” the JuD leader said.

He urged the government to take up the issue of torching Samjhota Express at the UN Security Council, adding the Pakistan should also seek handover of the culprits involved in the tragedy.