Pakistani Islamist Hafeez Sayeed who has a $10-million bounty on his head, led prayers at a mosque in Islamabad on Friday. He called on his country’s military to shoot down any American drones entering Pakistani territory.
The anti-US rhetoric comes as the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan visited Islamabad for the first time since the killing of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in a drone strike in western Pakistan in May.
Relations between US and Pakistan have been strained ever since the drone strike, with Islamabad calling it a violation of its sovereignty.
Friday’s public appearance by Sayeed – who has been accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks by the US and India – was another reminder of the many sore points in the Pakistani-US relationship.
Sayeed maintains a low profile for most of the time, meaning his occasional public appearances and pronouncements are closely watched.
The US stands with India in their enmity towards Pakistan.Hafeez Sayeed
In response to the 21 May drone strike that killed Mansoor, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) – an Islamist charity Sayeed heads – has announced a series of anti-US protests in major cities. Sayeed expected to be a featured speaker.
Pakistan’s top foreign policy official and its powerful military chief met Richard Olson, the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, during a visit.
A statement from the military said Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif had expressed “serious concern” over the US drone strike. The US embassy in Islamabad said it had no statement on Olson’s visit.
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