Salahuddin not to give up 'jehad'

ISLAMABAD, AUG. 26. The chief of Pakistan-based militant outfit, Hizb- ul Mujahideen, Syed Salahuddin, today denied that his group had agreed to stop its activities or participated in any meeting with the Pakistan officials on the issue.

Salahuddin was referring to comments reportedly made recently by the Interior Minister, Mr. Moinuddin Haider, who said the militant groups had agreed to surrender arms and end their `jehadi' activities.

``We had made it clear at a seminar in the presence of the Interior Minister that the `jehadi' groups are presently waging a war of security and completion of Pakistan and are busy in taking the liberation of Kashmir to its logical end.

We said that encouragement for these forces was very much needed,'' he told Radio Teheran.

Asked about the Pakistan Government's campaign to seize arms, he said ``neither do we have any arms here nor is there a need to display them''.

He, however, said that the display of arms inside Pakistan or financial exploitation in the name of `jehad', which might endanger Pakistan's security, should be banned.

``Anyhow, raiding the offices of `jehadi' groups and arrest of their activists are neither in the interest of the Kashmir movement nor do they benefit Pakistan,'' he added.

- PTI

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Section  : International
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