Seen sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed, JKLF chief Yasin Malik denies having links with him

Srinagar: After four days of curfew in the valley since Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik is now courting a controversy. He shared the stage with the key conspirator of 26/11 attacks and Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Saeed, on Sunday in Islamabad at an event organised to mourn Afzal Guru's hanging.

Yasin reportedly fasted in the protest and urged leaders from PoK to organise public protests. But speaking to CNN-IBN, Malik denied any links with Hafiz Saeed. "There were many people assembled at this site. People from the Pakistan civil society were also present. A person was on a hunger strike and many people were present there so where does the question of sharing the stage arise," asked Malik.

KLF leader Yasin Malik sharing a dais with LeT Chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan on Monday created a flutter in India. Congress spokesman Sandeep Dikshit urged the UPA government to look into the issue which was described as "very unfortunate" by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari.

Responding to queries as to whether any action will be taken against Malik for sharing dais with the chief of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashker-e-Taiba while sitting on a hunger strike in Pakistan, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said, "I will look into the case."

The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front(JKLF) leader currently on a private visit to Pakistan and Saeed came together to mourn the execution of Afzal and shared the dais.

BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit demanded that the separatist leader's Indian passport be cancelled. Tewari said the sensitivities with regard to Saeed should be kept in mind by people holding an Indian passport whether they are separatists or nationalists.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said he would look into the matter after getting details from the Home Ministry.

Ruling National Conference leader Mustafa Kamal alleged in Srinagar that Malik was a "double agent" working against the interest of people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"How can he share the dais with a man (Hafiz Saeed) who is on the wanted list of New Delhi? He is a double agent who is working against the interest of the people of the state," he said.

(With additional information from PTI)