Cleric wants 500,000 for war

Bhawalpur - A Pakistani Muslim cleric freed last month by India in return for hostages on a hijacked plane vowed yesterday to…

Bhawalpur - A Pakistani Muslim cleric freed last month by India in return for hostages on a hijacked plane vowed yesterday to recruit half a million men to fight Indian rule in Kashmir.

"We are going to organise a 500,000-mujahideen (holy warrior) force to fight against the Indians," Mr Masood Azhar told thousands of people at an Eid al-Fitr ceremony marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Last week he called for a jihad (holy war) in Kashmir.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter