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Pak. to file fresh cases against Azhar

Islamabad Dec. 16. The Pakistan Government has decided to register fresh cases against the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Masood Azhar, an accused in the case relating to the attack on the Indian Parliament and released by a Pakistani court, in order to keep him under detention, media reports here today said.

With a view to discouraging extremism and militancy in the country, the Government planned to arrest Azhar by registering new cases against him, reports appearing in several Urdu newspapers including the Jung said. There was no official confirmation of the report.

Azhar had been ordered to be released from house arrest by the review board of the Lahore High Court two days ago on the ground that he was kept under preventive detention for over a year.

The Pakistan Government, while opposing his release, said his detention could have an adverse impact on the law and order situation in the country.

He, along with the founder-leader of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafeez Saeed, was taken into preventive detention after India named the two as suspects in last year's attack on Parliament. Saeed too was released recently from preventive detention by the same court on the same grounds.

In the face of strong criticism by India, the Pakistan Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, had on Sunday said the Government had nothing to do with the release of Azhar. — PTI

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