Bilawal Bhutto on Masood Azhar: "Pakistan has no information about him. If he is in Pakistan and India provides evidence, he will be arrested."
Pakistan: Former Pakistani Foreign Minister and PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto has stated regarding Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar that Pakistan has no information about Azhar's whereabouts and that he might be in Afghanistan. He added that if India provides solid evidence, Pakistan is ready to arrest him.
Masood Azhar: India's Most Wanted Terrorist
Masood Azhar has been involved in several major terrorist attacks against India. He has been directly linked to events like the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot attack, and the 2019 Pulwama attack. He is the founder and chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad, which has been declared a terrorist organization by India and the United States, among other countries.
What did Bilawal Bhutto say?
Bilawal Bhutto, the leader of the Pakistan People's Party, made a significant statement regarding Masood Azhar in a recent interview. He said that Pakistan does not know where Masood Azhar is currently. He suggested that he might be in Afghanistan. Bhutto also stated that if the Indian government has any evidence that Masood is in Pakistan, it should be shared. Pakistan is prepared to arrest him and would be pleased to do so.
Questions on Pakistan's Double Standards
India has long accused Pakistan of harboring terrorists. Terrorists like Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed have openly carried out activities on Pakistani soil. In this context, Bilawal's statement that Pakistan has no information about Azhar raises many questions.
Is Masood Azhar in Afghanistan?
Bhutto said that considering the history of jihad in Afghanistan, it is possible that Masood Azhar is there. He stated that it is not possible for Pakistan to enter Afghanistan and take action, a task that even NATO forces were unable to accomplish there. This statement also raises questions about Pakistan's limited operational capacity and political will.
Clarification on Hafiz Saeed as well
During the interview, when Bhutto was asked about Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed, he said that Saeed is no longer a free man in Pakistan. He is currently in custody. However, it is also worth noting that terrorist leaders have been placed under house arrest in Pakistan many times before, but these actions have not been effective for long.
