India asserts that admission by Syed Salahuddin is another proof of Pakistan's policy of cross-border terrorism

India on 3 July 2017 said that the brazen admission by Syed Salauddin, the Chief of militant group Hizb-ul Mujahideen, of perpetrating terrorist attacks on India and having the capacity to carry out such attacks at any place and time in India is a further proof of Pakistan’s continuing policy of cross border terrorism.

In response to a media query about Pakistan based global terrorist Syed Salahuddin's interview to a Pakistan TV Channel, MEA Spokesperson Gopal Baglay on 3 July 2017 said, Salahuddin’s confession of assistance in such activities from Pakistan also affirms the complicity of Pakistan’s state structure in using terrorist proxies as a matter of policy against the neighbours.

Baglay said, the interview only highlights the unabashed manner in which terrorist organisations and leaders enjoy freedom of operations in Pakistan, including access to terror financing and procurement and supply of weapons for terrorism.

Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin declared as global terrorist

He regretted that senior Pakistan functionaries continue to justify and defend the activities of such internationally designated terrorist entities and leaders who are responsible for killing thousands of innocent civilians over the past three decades.

The Spokesperson said, Pakistan must give up its policy of cross-border terrorism, fulfill its obligations under international resolutions and stop all activities of terrorists from the territory under its control.

Background

Earlier in the day in an interview on Jirga, a talk show hosted by Pakistan’s Geo TV, Syed Salahuddin, the Chief of the militant group Hizb-ul Mujahideen claimed that Kashmiri militants have launched many operations against Indian forces and have the ability to hit targets anywhere in India at any time.

Salahuddin, whose original name is Mahammad Yousuf Shah, also said, “We have launched attacks against Indian forces ad security installations and will continue to do so. We can strike anywhere at the time of our choosing. But we will not launch attacks against civilians or any public places.

This was Salahuddin’s first interview after being designated as a global terrorist on 26 June 2017 by the US. He said his struggle was for the freedom of Kashmir.

Who is Syed Salahuddin?

Syed Salahuddin (Syed Mohammed Yusuf Shah) is head of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, a militant terrorist group operational in Kashmir. He is also the head of an alliance of anti-India militant groups, known as United Jihad Council, which works to annex the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan. United Jihad Council is an alliance of 13 militant organizations.

He is listed on the NIA Most Wanted list. On 26 June 2017, he was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State. He is based in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and divides his time between Rawalpinidi and Muzaffarabad.