The security forces have arrested Ahmed Shahzad – the mastermind of General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi terrorist attack in 2009 – from the Karachi airport. Sources in the intelligence agencies told Pakistan Today on Friday that Shahzad was arrested while he was attempting to flee the country.
They said intelligence agencies intercepted a suspicious man in Pakistan Army uniform at the airport and took him into custody for investigation. During interrogation, the suspect identified himself as Ahmed Shahzad and admitted to having links with Qari Saifullah-run Harkatul Jihad Al-Islami (HJAI) and the Amjad Farooqui Group. Shahzad was then transferred to a undisclosed location. The sources said Shahzad had been arrested a week ago, adding that the arrest would help get to the terror network in the country.
“Ahmed Shahzad has also worked with Ilyas Kashmiri, a former operations chief of HJAI, who later formed the Amjad Farooqi Group. The group largely consists of Punjabi jihadis, many with military background,” the sources said. They said the Amjad Farooqi Group was also known the Punjabi Taliban and had close ties with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, al Qaeda and several other terror groups.
They added that Ahmed Shahzad was also involved in the Marriott Hotel, Islamabad blast in September 2008, attack on the Sri Lankan Cricket Team in Lahore in March 2009 and the killing of Pakistan Army surgeon general Lieutenant General Mushtaq Ahmed Baig in February 2008. Meanwhile, an activist of a banned organisation was arrested on Friday in Faisalabad in connection with the PNS Mehran base attack.
According to media reports, the suspect was in contact with terrorists who attacked the Mehran base, as was found out from the record of his telephone calls made during the naval base stand off. Also, an initial forensic report on the Mehran base attack has been presented to the investigation committee. The report says Russian-made weapons were used to carry out the attack, adding that the attackers fired seven rockets during the assault.
