Pakistan today said that it had nothing to do with the controversial meeting between journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and dismissed it as a meeting between "two private individuals".
Pakistan High Commission Abdul Basit also made it clear that it would not take any action against Saeed as there was no hard evidence and said it "cannot put him in jail just to please anyone".
Replying to a volley of questions on the issue during a Meet the Press programme at Press Club of India here, Basit said, "Our government was not aware of this meeting and nor was the government of India. It was a meeting between two private individuals and nothing more."
Asked whether Pakistani intelligence agency ISI was also not aware about the meeting, he only said Pakistani government has nothing to do with it.
On why no action was taken against the JuD chief for his alleged involvement in terror activities, the Pakistani High Commissioner said there was "no evidence" to prosecute Saeed.
He said Pakistan government needs "hard evidence" to put Saeed in jail. "We do not have any evidence against him... We cannot put him in jail just to please anyone."
On whether Pakistan will again give visa to Vaidik if he applies for it, Basit evaded a direct reply and said he often visits the country and was given the travel document along with other members of a delegation which participated in a conference there.
The meeting of Vaidik, known to be close to BJP supporter and yoga guru Ramdev, had triggered a row with Opposition taking on the government following which a report was sought from the Indian High Commission in Pakistan.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday said the Indian High Commission was not aware of the meeting.
