Pakistan denies Udaipur violence accused's links to Karachi-based Islamist organisation

Pakistan's Foreign Office on Wednesday rejected reported insinuation in India to link the accused in the brutal killing of a tailor in Udaipur to a Karachi-based Ismalist organisation. Two men, identified as Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, allegedly hacked Kanhaiya Lal to death with a cleaver at his shop in Udaipur on Tuesday and posted videos online saying they are avenging an insult to Islam.

One of the two prime accused has links with the Karachi-based Ismalist organisation Dawat-e-Islami and had visited Karachi in 2014, Director General of Police (DGP) of Rajasthan M L Lather told reporters on Wednesday. In a statement, the Foreign Office here said that it has seen reports in a segment of the Indian media referring to investigations into the murder case in Udaipur, seeking to link the accused individuals to an organisation in Pakistan.

"We categorically reject any such insinuations," the FO said, adding that it was an attempt by New Delhi at maligning the country including by externalising their internal issues through pointing fingers towards Pakistan. The FO also said that such "malicious attempts" would not succeed in misleading the people, either in India or elsewhere in the world.

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