Pak yet to detain Masood: Intel inputs

Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has not been arrested, nor has he been put under house arrest; while three of his junior functionaries were detained in cases not connected with the Pathankot terror attack, officials said.

Quoting intelligence inputs, government officials said no case has been registered against Azhar in connection with the Pathankot terror attack and there has been no visible action against the leader of the terror group responsible for many attacks in India.

Three junior-level functionaries of the JeM were detained by Pakistan's security agencies, but only for possessing some incriminating documents, which have nothing to do with the January 2 attack on the Pathankot airbase, in which seven security personnel were killed, besides the six perpetrators.

Officials said initial reports of Azhar being detained for the attack were false and suspected to be a propaganda by some Pakistani agencies. Pakistan is yet to inform India if it has registered a criminal case against the JeM or any of its activists for the Pathankot attack.

The officials said since Pakistan has announced that several individuals belonging to the JeM have been apprehended, it should also disclose under which law it has detained them and started the probe.

India has given to Pakistan information about certain mobile numbers that were used by the handlers of the six terrorists, who stormed the sensitive airbase. There is no information on the identity of the owners of those numbers, they said. Tapped conversations between the terrorists and their Pakistani handlers were also shared, the officials said, adding that the government there should take the probe forward by registering a criminal case and taking into custody those who received the calls.

India has given specific leads under which specific detentions should be done, the officials said. Pakistan has a legitimate right to seek more evidence, but first they have to act on the evidence already shared with them, they said.