Hafiz Saeed leads march for Kashmir 'freedom'

Mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attack, Hafiz Saeed on Tuesday led a 'Kashmir Caravan' from Lahore to Islamabad and vowed to march towards Jammu and Kashmir "till Kashmiris get freedom".

Stretching several kilometers, the caravan left for Islamabad from Lahore's Mall Road this afternoon. The workers of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Jamaat-e-Islami and other religious parties will welcome the rally at the JuD headquarters in Muridke and Gujranwala on way to Islamabad.

It will reach its destination tomorrow where the JuD has planned a huge public meeting to express solidarity with Kashmiris. Speaking at the rally in Lahore, Saeed said in the first phase the 'Kashmir Caravan' would reach Islamabad to "wake up" the members of the National Assembly and Senate to raise their voice for the rights of Kashmiris.

In the next phase, he said it would leave for Muzaffarabad and Chakothi in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to raise voice for freedom of Kashmiris. "And in the third phase we (caravan) will march into occupied Kashmir and we will continue marching till Kashmiris get freedom," Saeed said.

The founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba who carries a US $10-million bounty on his head again demanded the Pakistan government immediately suspend "diplomatic and trade" ties with India, expel the Indian ambassador in Pakistan and recall its envoy from New Delhi.