Pakistan arrests Jaish-e-Mohammed’s Azhar, brother

Islamabad acts at last, after pressure by India Pakistan on Wednesday arrested Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother and “several individuals” belonging to his terror group that is suspected to be behind the Pathankot airbase attack, and sealed its offices across Pakistan after India demanded action, linking it to the fate of the foreign secretary-level talks. Azhar’s brother Abdul Rehman Rauf was among those who have been taken into custody, Geo TV reported.

While the arrest of several individuals was announced in a press release from the Pakistan PM’s office, there was no official confirmation of Azhar’s arrest.

“Maulana Masood Azhar and Mufti Abdul Rauf have been taken into protective custody in connection with the attack on the Pathankot airbase. They have been shifted to a safe place for interrogation,” a senior official said, but sought anonymity.

India lists Masood Azhar as one of its most wanted terrorists. JeM, which is banned in Pakistan, allegedly carried out a string of deadly attacks against Indian targets, including the attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001 that brought Pakistan and India to the brink of a full-scale war.

Soon after the Indian Parliament attack, Masood Azhar was detained for a year by the Pakistani authorities but was never formally charged. The Lahore high court had ordered an end to his house arrest on December 14, 2002, much to the fury of India.

After the January 2 Pathankot airbase attack, India had accused the JeM of masterminding and executing the act that threatened to ruin the newly-launched Comprehensive Dialogue process agreed by the two neighbours. Officials said the authorities were interrogating the JeM chief, his brother and other detainees.

Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was told several members of proscribed JeM had been arrested over the Pathankot attack. A high-level meeting, attended by Pakistan Army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif, was held here to discuss the progress into the Pathankot investigations. The PM was briefed that several offices of the JeM had been shut and members were arrested for interrogation.

Among those present were the PM’s foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz, interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, national security adviser Lt. Gen. Nasir Khan Janjua (Retd), Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, Army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif and the intelligence chiefs.

A PM House spokesman said Pakistan was now thinking of sending a special team to India to obtain additional information from the scene of the attack. The PM’s Office said the JeM offices were being traced and sealed across the country. Further investigations were going on. In New Delhi, sources said the Indian security brass was telling the government that if Islamabad wanted to send a team to Pathankot to gather information on the Pakistani terrorists’ role in the terror siege, it should be allowed to come and collect evidence, and also share information with Indian agencies.

A top official said during the 26/11 probe, New Delhi had stalled a similar request made by Pakistan, though some Pakistani officials later went to Mumbai. This time, some Indian security officials feel, it is a positive development and New Delhi must give Islamabad a chance to act and then see if it delivers on its promise. A formal request is, however, yet to be made by Pakistan on the visit of the SIT, and only after such a request is made will New Delhi take a call.

This decision may be taken by NSA Ajit Doval who is in charge of overseeing the Pathankot investigation and of sharing information with Pakistan. Sources said the NIA and Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency may see close cooperation in the next few days, in the wake of fresh developments and the swift action by Pakistan, with the arrests and detentions of JeM leaders. In Islamabad, senior officials said some arrests had been made but to move forward Pakistan would need more evidence. “An initial report has been sent to India. We have asked for more information so that we can get to the bottom of it. We are moving forward,” an official said.

He said raids were carried out in Gujranwala, Jhelum and Bahawalpur districts and a number of people were arrested. “They are only suspects. We will find out after interrogation if they have any links with the Pathankot attack or not. They are suspected to be linked with banned outfits,” he added. Pakistan had promised it would get to the bottom of who was behind the assault on the airbase after India handed over evidence to Pakistan that it said implicated JeM in the attack that led to seven military personnel being killed.

Pakistan had claimed the leads were not enough to nail the perpetrators of the Pathankot attack. Officials here said Islamabad had sent the initial investigation report to New Delhi, asking for more information. India said it provided “specific and actionable information in this regard”. The evidence is said to include some voice recordings and the cellphone numbers of the attackers’ handlers in Pakistan.