HYDERABAD, Nov 24: The central Ameer, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Hafiz M. Saeed claimed that after taking over full possession of Afghanistan, the next target of the US would be Pakistan.

He said this while addressing a news conference at the Lashkar-i-Taiba office at Tilak Incline on Friday evening.

He said whether Pakistan supported the Taliban or not, it could not escape American attack as the US considered Pakistan’s nuclear programme a permanent threat.

He believed that Pakistan could only strengthen itself by supporting the Taliban as its western borders had become quite vulnerable.

Hafiz M. Saeed said that India had already started amassing its forces on the border and said that civil war in Afghanistan would be the natural outcome of the defeat of the Taliban.

He said the next fight will be between the local Mujahideen of Afghanistan and the Northern Alliance, which was supported by the US and Russia.

He said the Taliban will continue guerrilla war in Afghanistan and were destined to come into power once again.

He dispelled the propaganda by the western powers that the Taliban were about to surrender their arms.

He said the Taliban were living in the mountains, and added that many Mujahideen belonging to the Lashkar-i-Taiba were also fighting alongside the Taliban against Islam’s enemies.

He believed that though China was maintaining a discreet silence at present, it would not remain indifferent for long if the US acquired permanent bases in Afghanistan.

He maintained that the Taliban Embassy in Islamabad had been closed by Pakistan due to threats by the US.