Religious Affairs Minister Ejazul Haq, rejecting charges of cross-border terrorism, on Friday said Pakistan has banned extremist 'jihadi' organisations and taken action against extremist elements. Militancy, he said, was an indigenous phenomenon in occupied Kashmir, and it was wrong to blame Pakistan.
Likewise, he said, "why should we kill innocent civilians in Mumbai, which is a brutal act of barbarism."
He was responding to a question at a briefing at the Pakistan embassy.
As far as accusing others, he said, Pakistan was "cautious to do so," since it wanted the peace process to continue.
Both India and Afghanistan, he stated "externalise their internal problems, and don't accept responsibility".
"We are cautious in blaming other countries, for these may harm peace process and, we must move forward. Therefore, we are tolerating many things."
"Instead of making a hue and cry about it, we are trying to do what we have to do."
To a question, he said 'jihadi' organisations have all been banned. "Sipah-e-Sahaba' ended with the death of Maulana Azam Tariq, and it has not surfaced with a new name." "The sectarian matters are our own problem, but as an organisation they (SSP) have never been involved in 'jihad' or anything like that."
He said if a Pakistani were caught involved in some act of terrorism, they (Indian authorities) would keep him hanging, and show the body for people to witness. "It's all indigenous matter," he said of militancy in occupation Kashmir.
To a question on Allama Turabi's killing, he said, "this is more of a terrorist activity rather than sectarianism."
These were "target killings", he said of Allama Turabi's death, or those of Maulana Shamzai or incident of killing in Jamia Binoria in Karachi.
"All these incidents are happening in the wake of a conspiracy and there could be internal or external hand, anything. I don't know about details. Investigations are underway."
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