ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistani authorities on Wednesday took into protective custody the leader of the banned outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad Maulana Masood Azhar as part of an investigation being carried in connection with the Pathankot terror attack, sources said.
The sources said that Maulana Masood Azhar’s borther Mufti Abdul Rauf Ashghar was also taken into the custody.
Earlier in the day, a high level meeting was informed in Islamabad that on the basis of the initial investigations into Pathankot attack in Pakistan, and the information provided by India in this regard, several individuals belonging to Jaish-e-Muhammad have been apprehended.
The arrests were made when the law enforcement agencies (LEA)s conducted operations in Punjab’s four cities including Multan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan.
The meeting was further informed that the offices of the organization were sealed while computers were taken into custody.
“The offices of the organization are also being traced and sealed. Further investigations are underway,” the Prime Minister’s Office said after the meeting.
The Prime Minister’s Office said that the government wants to send a Special Investigation Team to the Pathankot air base in India for further investigation
“In the spirit of the cooperative approach, it was also decided that in order to carry the process forward, additional information would be required, for which the Government of Pakistan is considering to send a Special Investigation Team to Pathankot, in consultation with the Government of India.”
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif presided over the meeting which was also attended by top civilian and military leadership.
On January 2, a group of six terrorists conducted an attack at the Indian air force base in Indian Punjab’s Pathankot and killed seven security officials.
The Indian authorities blamed Jaish-e-Muhammad for being involved in the attack and provided Pakistan ‘actionable intelligence’ against the group. They also demanded an effective and prompt response from Islamabad which it assured New Delhi that it will act accordingly.
