M A I N   N E W S

Senior Jaish leader arrested

Islamabad, January 10
As part of its continuing crackdown on Islamic militant groups, the Pakistan police has arrested a senior Jaish-e-Mohammad leader, Hasan Barki.

Barki was arrested here last night on his arrival from Bahawalpur, a town in Punjab province where the Jaish has its headquarters.

With his arrest, almost all major leaders of the terrorist outfit have been detained by the government, the Nation daily reported today.

During the past few days Barki had been speaking to the Press about his group’s resolve to carry on with its militant attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in India.

The Pakistan police has arrested the group’s founding leader Maulana Masud Azhar and four of his brothers, besides scores of its members in the nationwide crackdown. They have been arrested for making inflammatory speeches.

The founding leader of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hafeez Muhammad Saeed, has also been arrested, a few days after he said he quit the leadership of the militant outfit.

India has blamed both the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Lashkar-e-Toiba for the December 13 Parliament attack.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is expected to announce stringent measures against militant groups in his address to the nation planned later this week. PTI