Pakistan has detained Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar's brother Abdul Rauf Asghar, Pakistan's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday, March 5. Jaish chief's brother Rauf is among 44 members who have been detained by the Pakistan government, including Masood Azhar's son Hammad Azhar. Rauf Ashar is in protective custody.
Addressing a press conference, Pakistan Interior minister Shaharyar Afridi announced the news. The development comes amid mounting pressure from the global community to rein in the terror groups operating on its soil and curb their financing.
Pakistani interior ministry secretary said that if no evidence is brought up against them, they will be released. According to Shaharyar Afridi, the terrorists have been taken into preventive custody for a period of two weeks.
However, Afridi said that the action was not taken due to any pressure.
The order for their detention was issued today. "In order to implement National Action Plan (NAP), a high-level meeting was held in the Ministry of Interior on 4th March 2019 which was attended by all provincial governments. It was decided to speed up action against all proscribed organisations. In compliance, 44 under-observation members of proscribed organisations, including Mufti Abdul Raoof and Hamad Azhar, have been taken in preventive detention for investigation. These actions will continue as per the decisions are taken in the National Security Committee (NSC), while reviewing the National Action Plan," states the order.
A journalist has shared the news on Twitter saying, "Abdul Rauf Asghar and 44 others were taken into preventive custody. If there is enough evidence against him - and others detained - they will be proceeded against."
Pakistan is on a deadline fixed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international organisation that works to stop terror funding, to crack down on terror groups and their supporters who are running free in the country.
Azhar formed JeM after his release in 1999 when Indian Airlines flight IC 814 was hijacked and taken to Kandahar. Since then, the JeM has been involved in terror attacks in India.
Here is a list of terror attacks carried out by JeM Chief:
The terror group was responsible for the attack on Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001, in which nine security personnel and officials were killed.
On January 2, 2016, a heavily armed group of JeM attacked the Pathankot airbase in which seven security personnel were killed.
The JeM also carried out the attack on Uri brigade headquarters on September 18, 2016, killing 17 soldiers and injuring 30 others.
