Pakistan has released its most dreaded terrorist Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar from the jail, hoping that the Islamic terrorist could plan ‘big action’ in Sialkot-Jammu-Rajasthan region, reports Hindustan Times.
As per the report, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has now received the information regarding the additional deployment of Pakistani troopers along the India-Pakistan border near Rajasthan as Islamabad is planning “a big action” and has released dreaded terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar to plan these terror operations.
According to the input, Pakistan is considering attacks in Sialkot-Jammu and Rajasthan sectors in the coming days in response to the Narendra Modi government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 which had given Jammu and Kashmir a special status. The input warned that Pakistan has started deploying additional troops near the Rajasthan border as part of the plan.
The information has been conveyed to the respective Border Security Force and army field formations in Jammu and Rajasthan sectors to avoid any surprise attacks from the Pakistani army and the troops have been asked to remain alert, the officials cited above said.
Earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had threatened “fullest possible response” to India’s moves in Jammu and Kashmir. Khan added the global community would be responsible for any “catastrophic” aftermath as he continued his rhetoric amid rising tensions with New Delhi since the government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
The comments by Khan, who last week said there was a risk of India-Pakistan war, came on a day Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had said they were prepared to “go till any extent”. Bajwa added they were ready to “give sacrifices for our Kashmiri brothers, fulfil our duty till the last bullet, last soldiers and last breath”.
Amid rising tensions between the two countries, the IB input has said Pakistan has “secretly” released Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar to plan terrorist operations along with other terror organisations which are working openly in Pakistan. There were reports that Maulana Masood Azhar was taken into protective custody after the February 14 Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Jaish-e-Mohammad had taken the responsibility for the cowardly attack in which 40 paramilitary troopers were killed and prompted India to carry airstrikes on the group’s camp in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26. Amidst rumours of his death, he had resurfaced in August after abrogation of Article 370 and in a message to his followers had reportedly said, “One chapter of Ghazwa-e-Hind and of Jihad Kashmir has been complete. Alhumdulillah the the Mujahideen of Kashmir got victory in Kashmir.”
Reportedly, the officials speaking to Hindustan Times has said that Pakistan’s spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), had no inkling that the Indian government would revoke Article 370 on August 5. “It is being considered the ISI’s biggest intelligence failure in history and now they are under pressure to act,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
The official also added that while the Pakistani army will try to play mischief, militants like Azhar have been unleashed to carry out terror attacks in India. “Pakistan may try to use the current situation and the Indian government’s focus in Jammu and Kashmir to target somewhere else.”
Azhar, who is wanted in India for several attacks, including the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, was among four people declared as individual terrorists on September 4 under a new anti-terror law passed in August.
On Saturday, in a wide-ranging interaction with journalists in New Delhi, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had said that Indian Army would do everything to protect the lives of Kashmiris from Pakistani terrorists even if we ‘have to impose restrictions’. He had added that Pakistan is trying to create trouble and some 230 terrorists have been spotted across the border.
