JeM chief Masood Azhar is in Pakistan, admits Pakistan foreign minister

NEW DELHI: Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday said that Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar is in Pakistan and he will only be arrested if India provides evidence which is acceptable to courts.


In an interview to CNN, Qureshi said that Masood Azhar is unwell and cannot even leave his house.

"He is in Pakistan, according to my information. He is very unwell. He is unwell to the extent that he cannot leave his house because he is very unwell," Qureshi told CNN while replying to question if Pakistan's government will go after the JeM chief.

Expand

Qureshi's remarks came amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the February 14 terror attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pulwama that left 40 CRPF personnel dead.

India has handed over a dossier to Pakistan with "specific details of the JeM complicity in Pulwama terror attack and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan."

India also expressed regret at the denial by Pakistan's political and military leadership at the presence of terrorist infrastructure in territories under its control.

When asked why Azhar not being arrested even after Pakistan admitting that JeM is a terrorist organisation and he is its chief, Qureshi said that Azhar will only be arrested if India give evidence, which is acceptable to the courts of Pakistan.

On the question of India's accusations against Azhar, Qureshi said that a legal process needs to be followed for an action against Azhar.

Qureshi also said that his country will not allow an organisation or an individual to use their soil against India. "We will be open to any steps that leads to de-escalation and if they have good solid evidence," he said.

"Please sit and talk. Initiate a dialogue," he added.

Azhar is the chief of JeM that claimed responsibility for the February 14 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. India has been repeatedly trying to list him as a "global terrorist" by the UN. However, China, an ally of Pakistan, has blocked India's efforts by using veto.

(With inputs from PTI)