After several rounds of denial and disapprovals, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has admitted that Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar is in Pakistan. He furthered that Azhar is unwell to the extent that he cannot move out of his house.
Masood Azhar is in Pakistan, he is very unwell, he’s unwell to the extent that he can’t leave house because he is really unwell. That’s the information I have. If they have evidence share with us so that we can convince the people and the judiciary: Shah Mahmood Qureshi. pic.twitter.com/kngJB5x1BT
— Naila Inayat नायला इनायत (@nailainayat) March 1, 2019
On being questioned about his arrest, Qureshi told CNN that India needs to provide solid evidence that is acceptable in the courts of Pakistan. India had on Wednesday handed over a dossier to Pakistan on Jaish’s role in the Pulwama terror attack.
On being questioned on the designation of Azhar as a global terrorist by the United Nation, Qureshi said Pakistan will welcome any step that leads to de-escalation. “If they have good solid evidence please sit and talk, please have dialogue and we will be reasonable,” he said.
In another big admission, which exposed Pakistan’s unscrupulousness, Pakistan’s railway minister, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad speaking in their Parliament yesterday, acknowledged that Indian Air Force had struck Masood Azhar’s madrassa. However, going by their usual practice, Pakistan had continued to claim that India did not hit the madrassa or cause any casualties following the IAF’s operation against Pakistan-backed terror camps on Wednesday.
Sheikh Rashid speaking in the joint session of parliament of Pakistan said, that 14 fighter planes of Indian Air Force had entered Pakistani air space, and the Madrassa run by “Azhar Sahab” at Jabba hill in Balakot was targeted. He added that at present the Madrassa is as good as not existent, implying that the Madrassa, which also doubles as a camp of Jaish, was destroyed by IAF.
Earlier, on Wednesday, during a media briefing by officials from the Joint Forces, Air Vice Marshall RGK Kapoor busted several false claims made by the Pakistan government.
Imran Khan’s government had maintained that they shot down two IAF jets and captured three pilots. But RGK Kapoor dismissed all such claims, revealing what exactly had happened.
Another fake narrative which was being spread by Pakistan was that no F-16 was used during this operation. But RGK Kapoor exposed this lie as well during the press briefing by showing proof that F-16 fighter jets were used.
India left Pakistan completely spooked after the IAF entered the Pakistan airspace in the wee hours of February 26th and bombed the Jaish camps in Pakistan, giving a befitting reply for the audacious Pulwama attack, in which India lost 40 of its CRPF soldiers. Now, probably realising that Pakistan had hypothesized India’s silence as its weakness and fearing severe action, Pakistan wants to hold peace talks with India, but India has made it sufficiently clear that unless Pakistan does not take any verifiable action against terrorism breeding on its soil India is not interested in any form of accord.
