ISI, Pak Army not in control of 'powerless puppet' Sharif: Swamy

Hitting out at the Pakistan Government for being unable to control Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of being a 'powerless puppet', who was incapable of controlling the happenings in his country.

"Nawaz Sharif is a powerless puppet without any meaning and the ISI and the Pakistan Army are all under Hafiz Saeed. His recent statement is his way of saying that besides attacking through Pakistan's government, he has ways of his own," Swamy told ANI.

However, he added that it was of no use sending any petitions to Pakistan regarding the 26/11 terror attack mastermind, since the government was powerless.

"Nevertheless, it is a matter of sadness that Hafiz Saeed is continuing to draw blood in India," Swamy said.

Earlier, the JuD chief issued a statement warning India of more terror attacks.

"You have only seen one attack on Pathankot. Matters could easily escalate," he said during a rally in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

He also alleged that the Indian troops were committing "genocide" on the Kashmiris, adding that "don't they have a right to carry out Pathankot-style attacks for their defence?"

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) yesterday said 'globally designated international terrorist' Saeed continues to enjoy the freedom to indulge in their activities in Pakistan.

"His claims that his various front organisations are carrying out charitable work is a fig leaf. It is not even a fig leaf I would say. They indulge in terrorist activities and terrorist financing, it should be a matter of great concern for everyone that people like Hafiz Saeed and his associates continue to enjoy the freedom to indulge in their activities," said MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

Swarup also asked Islamabad to initiate action against such elements.

"In October, we had seen that the Government of Pakistan had banned the electronic coverage of some of these organisations including the one to which Hafiz Saeed belongs. But we are seeing now that Hafiz Saeed is making statements after statements and his rallies are being covered. So, obviously the concerned authorities need to take actions," he added.