NEW DELHI: Yet the Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan, subsequently recalled, shared the dais with Hafiz Saeed whom India describes as the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Using sharp words, Saeed had said: “The day Jerusalem (Bait-ul-Muqaddas) becomes the capital of Israel, a caravan of jihad will be launched. Pakistan’s army chief general (Qamar Javed) Bajwa, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and all leaders of political parties need to unite. Pakistan’s atomic bomb is the asset of ‘Islam’, which should be used to free Jerusalem. This is my open announcement.”
The same national security document that castigated Pakistan said of India that it is a leading global power. “We welcome India’s emergence as a leading global power and stronger strategic and defence partner,” it proclaimed. “We will expand our defence and security cooperation with India, a Major Defence Partner of the United States, and support India’s growing relationships throughout the region,” it said.