WASHINGTON: Conti­nu­ed public pronouncements by Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed got Pakistan into trouble again as the United States had asked Islamabad not to “pick and choose” groups for its anti-terrorist operations.

At a Thursday afternoon news briefing, State Department’s Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner rejected Hafiz Saeed’s suggestion that the United States and India were working jointly to fail the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “I would dismiss it outright,” said Mr Toner when asked to comment on Hafiz Saeed’s statement.

Some media reports on Wednesday quoted Hafiz Saeed as saying that a recent India-US military pact was anti-Pakistan and meant to counter CPEC. He also accused India and the United States of working against Muslim interests around the globe.

His statement echoed at the State Department as well, forcing Mr Toner to declare that the United States gave no importance to such remarks.

The United States endorses India’s claim that Hafiz Saeed orchestrated the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai and has repeatedly asked Pakistan to punish those responsible for the attack.

In 2012, the United States announced a bounty of $10 million on Hafiz Saeed for his alleged role in the attack in which six American citizens were also killed.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2016