Pakistan detains militant suspects

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has detained dozens of alleged militants after a suicide attack in Kashmir last month which sent tensions between the nuclear-armed foes soaring, its interior minister said on Tuesday.

Among those detained in Islamabad’s latest crackdown on banned groups was Abdul Rauf — who a security source said is a younger brother of Masood Azhar — the leader of militant group Jaish-e-mohammad (JEM) that claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack.

Rauf had been named in a dossier of evidence in that attack given to Pakistan by India, the interior ministry said.

“We have launched a crackdown against proscribed organisations and have taken 44 individuals into custody, including Mufti Abdul Rauf and Hammad Azhar,” State Minister for the Interior Shehryar Afridi told reporters in Islamabad.

He did not give any further names, clarify what groups those detained allegedly belonged to, or say if they would face charges. Rauf is a littleknown younger brother of Masood Azhar, the security source said. He added that “Hammad Azhar” was an alias, but did not say who for.

Afridi said Pakistan was “not taking this action under pressure from anyone”. Islamabad has vehemently denied involvement in militant attacks, and said there are no safe havens left for terror groups on its territory. JEM leader Masood Azhar remains in Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told CNN last week, adding that he was “very unwell” and could not leave his house.