The Hindu : International : Pakistan arrests head of militant organisation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 12, 2004

International

International

Pakistan arrests head of militant organisation

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, DEC. 11. Pakistan has arrested Jaish-ul-Muslimeen head, Syed Akbar Agha, the alleged mastermind of last month's kidnapping of three U.N. election workers in Afghanistan.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister, Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, said in a statement that Agha was picked up from a flat in the port city of Karachi a week ago and his interrogation was in progress.

Akbar Agha was accused of getting $1.5 million in ransom for release of three foreign workers of the United Nations, which were kidnapped in Afghanistan.

However, two of Agha's lieutenants, Mulla Ishaq and Habib Aga, had gone underground after the release of the U.N. hostages.

The Jaish claimed the abduction of Shqipe Hebibi from Kosovo, Annetta Flanigan of Northern Ireland and Filipino diplomat Angelito Nayan from a busy Kabul street on October 28.

The trio, who were overseeing Afghanistan's first presidential elections in October, were released unharmed on November 23 after prolonged negotiations between representatives of the Afghan Government and the militant group during which the abductors set several deadlines threatening to kill the hostages.

No ransom paid

The Afghan Government insisted no agreement was reached with the abductors and no ransom was paid for the freedom of the U.N. hostages.

Agha has told interrogators he slipped across the border into Pakistan.

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