Pakistan detains JeM leaders named in Indian dossier on Pulwama attack

Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi and Ministry of Interior Secretary Azam Suleman Khan at a press conference acknowledged that some people who have been detained in Tuesday crackdown — including Raoof and Azhar — are named in the dossier handed by India to Pakistan on the Pulwama attack.  

However, they said it does not mean that action is being taken against only those individuals who are mentioned in the dossier.

Officials of the Ministry of Interior said yesterday that forty-four under-observation members of proscribed organisations, including Mufti Abdul Raoof and Hamad Azhar (no relation to the Minister of State for Revenue) — the brother and son of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar, respectively — have been taken in “preventive detention” for investigation. 

“In order to implement National Action Plan (NAP), a high-level meeting was held in the Ministry of Interior on March 4, attended by all representatives of all provincial governments,” said a statement by the ministry. “These actions will continue, as per the decisions taken in National Security Committee (NSC) while reviewing NAP.”

This was also confirmed by Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi and Ministry of Interior Secretary Azam Suleman Khan at their press conference. “This is across the board — we don’t want to give the impression that we are against one organisation,” said Khan while talking to the media.

The secretary further said: “If we have to take over any [organisation’s] assets, we will do so. Assets can be taken over of organisations already declared as proscribed, under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. “If we obtain any further evidence or if we have to investigate any organisation, the government can take any organisation[‘s leaders] into custody at any time.”

The secretary was also questioned by a reporter regarding the status of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), which the reporter said is still “on a watch list” according to Indian media and not yet proscribed. Furthermore, the reporter inquired as to why a notification was issued by the information ministry and not the interior ministry when the government’s decision to reinstate the ban on the organisation was announced on February 21.

The secretary chalked the delay down to paperwork and confirmed that the ban will take effect within 24 hours and a notification will be issued, this time by the interior ministry.

A few short hours following the press conference, the interior ministry released an updated list of 70 organisations declared proscribed by the ministry under Schedule 1 of ATA, 1997.

The schedule shows the addition of JuD and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) on March 5, 2019, whereas Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) appears on number 3, having been added to the list on Jan 14, 2002.

When pressed by journalists to reveal more names of those detained, the secretary said: “We cannot reveal any more names at this point. Those we have taken into preventive detention will be investigated, and if we learn more names along the way, those will be added accordingly.”

India blames Pakistan for the suicide bombing in Pulwama that killed over 40 soldiers in India-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan, from the get-go, rejected the Indian claim, urging New Delhi to share “actionable evidence” so that it could act upon it.

“We won’t allow the use of our soil against any country,” said Afridi, stressing the fact that none of the actions were taken under any kind of pressure and that it was Pakistan’s own initiative to take these measures.

“This is Pakistan’s decision […] the action will continue for two weeks. Every single detail will be shared with all stakeholders,” said Afridi.