Close X
Thursday, December 12, 2024
ADVT 
International

Indian Dossier Has No 'Evidence', Says Pakistan As It Detains Azhar Masood's Kin

Darpan News Desk IANS, 05 Mar, 2019 08:00 PM
  • Indian Dossier Has No 'Evidence', Says Pakistan As It Detains Azhar Masood's Kin

A dossier submitted by India lacks "concrete evidence" linking Pakistan with the suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF troopers, Islamabad said on Tuesday, as it arrested the brother and son of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar and 42 others as part of a crackdown on Islamist groups following intense diplomatic pressure.


The brother, Mufti Abdur Rauf, and Hammad Azhar, a son of the now reportedly ailing Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief, were among those whose names were mentioned in the dossier India handed over to Pakistan last week, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi said.


But Interior Ministry Secretary Azam Suleman Khan quickly added: "It does not mean that action is being taken against only those individuals who are mentioned in the dossier.


"If we have to take over any (organisation's) assets, we will do so. Assets can be taken over of organisations already declared as proscribed, under the Anti Terrorism Act, 1997.


"If we obtain any further evidence or if we have to investigate any organisation, the government can take any organisation into custody at any time," he said.


Khan, however, claimed that the Indian dossier lacked concrete evidence against any member to link Pakistan and Pakistanis with the February 14 suicide bombing in Pulwama that led to Indian air strikes on JeM's biggest training camp at Balakot in Pakistan, seriously straining bilateral ties.


Action will be taken against people if evidence was found during the investigations, he said. "In case we don't find any evidence against them, we will release them."


The crackdown came a day after the Pakistan government issued an order to streamline a process for the implementation of sanctions against individuals and entities of all banned outfits as designated by the UN Security Council (UNSC).


Afridi insisted that the action was taken without any foreign pressure, the Pakistani media reported, but informed sources said that intense diplomatic pressure including from Pakistan's close allies had forced Islamabad to crack the whip.


"In the first phase of our action we have taken 44 people into protective custody. We won't let anyone use Pakistani soil against anyone so that no force can intervene in Pakistan's domestic issues," Afridi said.


The government also froze bank accounts and assets of the organisations banned by the UNSC.


The Interior Ministry said that the actions will continue as per the decisions taken by the National Security Committee (NSC).


Secretary Khan said: "This is across the board - we don't want to give the impression that we are against one organisation."


Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal late Monday said that the government had taken over the control of all proscribed outfits operating in Pakistan.


"From now onwards, all kinds of assets and properties of all banned organisations will be in the government's control," Faisal had said, adding that the government will now also seize the charity wings and ambulances of such banned outfits.

 

MORE International ARTICLES

SAI Sanctuary: A SAVE ANIMALS INITIATIVE

Located in the Southern region of India, the SAI Sanctuary has grown leaps and bounds to own up to it’s name. S

SAI Sanctuary: A SAVE ANIMALS INITIATIVE

Drunk Indian-Origin Woman Causes Passenger Seizure Mid-Air, Jailed In UK

Drunk Indian-Origin Woman Causes Passenger Seizure Mid-Air, Jailed In UK
The court was told that during a bumpy landing, the 41-year-old had started screaming "we are all going to die", causing further distress to passengers.

Drunk Indian-Origin Woman Causes Passenger Seizure Mid-Air, Jailed In UK

Sotheby's India Head Gaurav Bhatia Goes On Leave Amid Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct

A statement by the auction house Friday said Gaurav Bhatia has taken a "leave of absence" pending a probe into the allegations.

Sotheby's India Head Gaurav Bhatia Goes On Leave Amid Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct

This Brave Pak Woman Officer Stopped Terrorists From Reaching Chinese Consulate Staff

Senior Superintendent Police Suhai Aziz Talpur led the security operation that foiled the brazen attack by members of the Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, in Karachi.

This Brave Pak Woman Officer Stopped Terrorists From Reaching Chinese Consulate Staff

UK Admits Error In Refusing Some Indian Professionals Settlement Rights

UK Admits Error In Refusing Some Indian Professionals Settlement Rights
The UK Home Office admitted that around 31 applications will be re-assessed at the conclusion of an internal review into the issue of visa applicants, largely from South Asian countries.

UK Admits Error In Refusing Some Indian Professionals Settlement Rights

NASA Scientists Concerned About Toilet Microbes On ISS

NASA is concerned over the strains of the bacterium Enterobacter, identified on the toilets of the International Space Station's (ISS),

NASA Scientists Concerned About Toilet Microbes On ISS