Musharraf warns India against any mischief

A statement in this regard was issued by Pakistan’s Foreign office, which did not confirm detention of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masoon Azhar, believed to be involved in the deadly terror attack on the Pathankot air base. Seven Indian soldiers and six attackers died. However, the United Jehad Council, an alliance of 13 Kashmir-based rebel groups, claimed it was behind the Pathankot attack.

Significantly, the rescheduling announcement was made by the Pakistani foreign office spokesman a couple of hours before it was made here.

He said India and Pakistan had agreed to reschedule the talks between their foreign secretaries which were to take place in Islamabad on Friday.

“The confirmation regarding the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief is yet to be obtained from the Pakistani Government”.

Swarup also said that they had no information about Azhar’s arrest. Will there be a formal charge against him regarding the Pathankot case?

It stated that the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi immediately took up the matter with Indian Ministry of External Affairs, asking them to provide adequate security to the PIA offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, as well as to take action against the miscreants.

Azhar’s “protective custody” does not amount to an arrest. “It doesn’t amount to presumption of guilt or arrest”.

Two others released with Azhar were Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, an Indian Kashmiri, and Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a Pakistani-born British citizen who was later convicted over his role in the abduction and killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002.

To a question about the attack on Pakistan Consulate General in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, the spokesperson said that Pakistan has requested the Afghan authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and share the details of the investigation accordingly.

Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has warned India against embarking on any “mischief”.