India must accept Kashmir as 'core dispute': Hafiz Saeed

Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, today said India must accept Kashmir as a "core dispute" if it wants to restore confidence in the dialogue with Pakistan.

"India has never had a sincere interest in opening dialogue. When they do, it is because of national interest. If India wants to restore confidence in opening dialogue with Pakistan, then India must accept Kashmir as a core dispute," Saeed told Qatar-based Al-Jazeera news channel.

JuD is the front organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is accused by India of executing the 26/11 strikes that killed 166 people, including foreigners.

He also said allegations against him of plotting attacks in India are "baseless".

On Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the Mumbai carnage, Saeed claimed he had never seen him.

"I never saw him [Kasab]. In fact, it was from media in India that I discovered he was a Pakistani national.

"I have never met Kasab nor have I ever known him and I have said this on many occasions. This is baseless propaganda without an iota of truth," he said.