New Delhi: Defence expert Qamar Agha on Thursday said Pakistan should officially inform the Indian Government about Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar’s detention and clarify the grounds on which he has been detained.
“They have detained him according to the Pakistan media, but not yet informed the Indian Government. What sort of detention is this? In what case he has been detained? Whether they are going to question him or not? Will there be a formal charge against him regarding the Pathankot case? These are the things that Pakistan needs to clarify to the Indian Government,” Agha told ANI.
“We are waiting for it and will take decision accordingly. It would be difficult now to hold a meeting on January 15, time is short. India would prefer a NSA level meeting before Foreign Secretary-level talks. It doesn’t matter if it gets postponed by few days. Prime Minister Modi’s top agenda is terrorism,” he added.
Pakistan has detained several militants belonging to JeM, including Masood Azhar, and sealed its offices, reported Pakistan media.
Media reports suggested that Masood Azhar was also taken into protective custody and was being questioned.
However, the MEA late on Wednesday evening said there was no official confirmation from Islamabad on the arrest of Masood Azhar.
“We have no official confirmation on the arrest of JeM chief Masood Azhar. We have seen the press release that has been put out by the Pakistani side, but we have no official confirmation on the arrest,” said MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup. (ANI)