Pakistan on Tuesday (5 March) claimed that it has detained 44 members affiliated to the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed including Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, the brother of Masoon Azhar, India Today has reported.
As per the report, one of those detained is also Masood Azhar's brother-in-law Hammad Azhar. He and Asghar are said to be in ‘protective custody’.
Asghar, a dreaded terrorist has been responsible for various terror attacks like the Indian Airlines IC 814 plane hijack and the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament.
This ‘detention’ was announced by Pakistan Interior Minister Shaharyar Afridi. As per a notice by the Pakistani government, this decision was part of implementing a National Action Plan (NAP) to speed up action against the proscribed organisations.
Under this action, the terrorists have been taken in “preventive detention for investigation”. The notice also claimed that this action would continue based on decision taken by the National Security Committee (NSC).
Also Read: The Terrorist That Got Away: Masood Azhar’s Journey In The World Of Jihad