New Delhi/Islamabad: While Indian government sources made it clear on Tuesday that “all options” are open for India in case of a fresh terror strike, Pakistan announced the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar’s brother among 44 members of banned militant outfits arrested by authorities in Pakistan. Sources said that India is reaching out to all UNSC members urging them to list JeM chief Masood Azhar on the global terror list.
Pressure is mounting on Islamabad to rein in the terror groups operating on its soil. Indian government sources also said India would not ease the “maximum diplomatic pressure” it had built up on Pakistan until Islamabad takes action against terrorists operating from its soil or territory controlled by it, adding that the swift release of earlier-captured IAF pilot Wg. Cdr. Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan was the result of pressure put by India.
“In Naya (new) Pakistan, we want to see naya action,” Government sources in New Delhi said in comments dripping with sarcasm.
India has also shared pictures of debris with the United States of the F-16 AMRAAM missile used by a Pakistan Air Force F-16 against the IAF last week, with sources expressing confidence that the US was investigating the matter amid reports that Islamabad had violated agreements with the US on use of this.
According to news agency reports, Mufti Abdur Rauf, brother of Azhar, and Hammad Azhar were among 44 people arrested during the crackdown, minister of state for interior Shehryar Khan Afridi said at a press conference in Islamabad.
He said a dossier shared by India with Pakistan last week also contained names of Mufti Abdur Rauf and Hammad Azhar. The Pakistani minister, however, claimed the action was not taken due to any pressure.
He said the action would be taken against all the proscribed organisations under the National Action Plan. He said the crackdown will continue for two weeks and actions against the arrested members will be taken on the basis of evidence.
The minister said that his government’s policy is that Pakistan’s soil will not be allowed for terror activities against any one.
The move came a day after Pakistan on Monday promulgated a law to streamline the procedure for the implementation of the United Nations
sanctions against individuals and organisations.
