LoC attack: BJP not surprised by reports of Hafiz Saeed's presence in Poonch

BJP leader Balbir Punj on Thursday said he is not surprised by reports that Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was in Poonch a week before the brutal killing of two Army jawans took place near Mendhar across the Line of Control (LoC), saying the 26/11 mastermind is very much a part of the Pakistani establishment, which is hell bent upon creating problems for India and also exporting terror to India.

Punj said "He is not surprised and will not be surprised if there is a clinching evidence tomorrow that Saeed was a part of the operation which brutalised the two Indian jawans at the border.

"For the simple reason, people like Saeed -- they are a part of the track too offensive against India and they are very much a part of the Pakistani establishment, which is hell bent upon creating problems for India and also exporting terror to India. So, this only underlines that ugly and bitter reality of Indo-Pak relationship," he added.

Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir had earlier on Wednesday denied a Pakistan Army attack on Indian soldiers in the Mendhar sector in Poonch district on Tuesday.

"I would like to address some of the concerns, which are expressed in the Indian media since yesterday regarding what is called the Mendhar incident. First of all, I would like to say that Pakistan remains firmly committed to respecting the ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir. It is important, I believe both governments agree, that the ceasefire, which is an important confidence building measure, must be respected by both sides," Bashir said.

The Pakistani envoy, who was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) yesterday, further said the Director Generals of Military Operations have been in contact with each other over the Mendhar incident.

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