Pathankot attack: JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar is in preventive custody, confirms Pakistan JIT

Islamabad: A Pakistani team probing the terror attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Punjab, has confirmed the preventive detention of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar.

The Quint has cited sources as saying that Pakistani investigators have already interrogated Azhar about the Pathankot terror attack.

The five-member Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) is likely to share the details of Azhar’s questioning and other findings with National Investigation Agency (NIA) today.

Weeks after the January 02 attack, media reports from Pakistan said Azhar and his relatives were placed under house arrest in Islamabad, and that Jaish-e-Mohammed seminaries and offices were raided and shut down.

However, highly-placed diplomatic sources in India said the Pakistan government did not confirm that Azhar was arrested.

On Tuesday, the NIA said India will ask for access to Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar.

"We will ask for access to Masood Azhar," National Investigation Agency chief Sharad Kumar told NDTV.

 

The Indian Air Force base was attacked on January 02, leading to the death of seven Indian security personnel and all the attackers after an 80-hour gun battle.

 

The five-member Pakistani JIT reached the airbase on Tuesday amid vociferous protests by activists of the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Shiv Sena.