Jaish chief Azhar under protective custody: Pakistan minister

Lahore, Jan 15: Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar has been taken under “protective custody”, Dawn quoted Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah as saying.

Speaking on DawnNews talk show ‘News Eye’, Sanaullah, while responding to a question, confirmed that Masood Azhar was taken into protective custody by the counter-terrorism department, the report said.

Asked if his custody can be termed an ‘arrest’, the provincial law minister explained on Thursday that Azhar will only face arrest and legal action if his involvement in the Pathankot attack is proved beyond doubt.

India says that the six terrorists who attacked the Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Pathankot in Punjab on January 2, killing seven security personnel, were Pakistanis and allied to the JeM.   (IANS)