Pak has to deal with security issues: India on Hafiz Saeed's warning

Downplaying Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed's threat of nationwide protest in Pakistan during Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to attend the SAARC Interior/Home Ministers meeting, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Monday put the ball in Islamabad's court and said it is for the Asian neighbour to take note of security issues.

"The Home Minister is going to Pakistan for a multi-lateral meeting, not for any bilateral talks. It is a meeting of the Home Ministers of SAARC members. If any security issue arises, it's Pakistan's responsibility to deal with it," he told the media here.

"Terrorism will figure in the talks," he added.

Saeed has warned of a countrywide protest in Pakistan if Singh arrives in Islamabad to attend the SAARC conference.

Ahead of his visit to Pakistan for the SAARC meeting, the Home Minister earlier in the day chaired a high-level meeting here.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Dineshwar Sharma and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Rajinder Khanna were also present in the meeting.

At the 13th SAARC Summit held in Dhaka in November 2005, the Heads of State decided that the SAARC Interior/Home Ministers would meet annually preceded by a meeting of the Interior/Home Secretaries to strengthen cooperation in the area of counterterrorism, which they agreed was a challenge to all states and a threat to humanity, and could not be justified on any grounds.