Masood's 10 family members killed
- PTI
- May 7
- 3 min read
By M Zulqernain
Lahore: Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar acknowledged on Wednesday that 10 members of his family and four close associates were killed in India's missile attack on the outfit's headquarters in Bahawalpur.
A statement attributed to Azhar said those killed in the attack on Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur included the JeM chief's elder sister and her husband, a nephew and his wife, another niece, and five children from his extended family.
The statement further mentioned that the attack also claimed the lives of one of Azhar's close associates and his mother, along with two other close companions.
"This act of brutality has broken all boundaries. There should be no expectation of mercy now," it added.
Bahawalpur became the hub of the JeM after the release of Azhar in exchange for the hijacked passengers of IC-814 in 1999.
In May 2019, the United Nations designated Azhar a "global terrorist" after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist the JeM chief, a decade after New Delhi approached the world body for the first time on the issue.
The elusive Azhar, who has not been seen in public since April 2019, is believed to be hiding in a "safe place" in Bahawalpur.
The group has been involved in a series of terror attacks in India, including the Parliament attack in 2001, the strike on the Jammu and Kashmir assembly in 2000, the attack on the IAF base in Pathankot in 2016 and the Pulwama suicide bombing in 2019.
Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said that all those injured in the Bahawalpur attack have been shifted to Victoria Hospital and given the best treatment.
Pakistan's security huddle discusses situation
Islamabad: Pakistan's high-level security huddle on Wednesday discussed the situation arising out of the Indian missile attack.
Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over the National Security Council (NSC) meeting, which was attended by cabinet ministers, chief ministers, all services chiefs and senior officers.
The NSC meeting lasted for more than two hours and discussed the security situation at length.
However, no decisions were announced as Sharif has summoned a cabinet meeting at 3:30 pm to further discuss the developments. “Later, he would share the decisions regarding the ongoing tension with the nation through his address in the parliament,” officials said.
Earlier, the Pakistan army said that at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in the Indian strikes launched shortly after midnight on cities in the Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry claimed “no time Indian aircraft was allowed to enter Pakistan and no Pakistani aircraft entered India. All Pakistan Air Force (PAF) assets are safe.”
Emergency declared in Pakistan's Punjab
Emergency was declared on Wednesday in Pakistan's Punjab province even as all educational institutions closed in the wake of the Indian missile attack.
The Pakistan army said that at least 26 people were killed and 46 injured in the Indian strikes launched shortly after midnight on cities in the Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has declared a state of emergency across the province,” a Punjab government statement said here.
All security agencies, including Punjab police, have been placed on high alert. Leaves of all doctors and medical staff across hospitals in Punjab have been cancelled.
The statement said all staff have been ordered to report for duty immediately and district administrations in all districts of Punjab have also been placed on high alert.
Officers and personnel of all relevant institutions, including Civil Defence, have been summoned, it said.
The educational institutions would remain closed on Wednesday, the statement said.
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