A former senior militant who was allegedly involved in the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl has been arrested in Pakistan.
A spokesman for the Pakistani Rangers paramilitary force said Qari Abdul Hayee, who is better known as Asadullah, had been detained in a raid in Karachi.
Asadullah used to be the chief of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group in the southern province of Sindh and is said to have been involved in several terror acts.
He was also “in the picture” about the murder of Mr Pearl in February 2002, the Rangers spokesman said, without elaborating.
Mr Pearl, 38, was the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal when he was abducted in Karachi on January 23, 2002, while researching a story about Islamist militants.
A graphic video showing him being beheaded was delivered to the US consulate in the city nearly a month later.
Pakistani police blamed Mr Pearl’s kidnap and murder on a group of Islamic militants headed by Ahmed Saeed Sheikh, who is also known as Sheikh Omar.
The British-born extremist was arrested with three others and convicted in June 2002 of Mr Pearl’s murder.
Seven co-accused were sentenced in absentia, and two of them were later killed in encounters with the police.
Court documents said the men masterminded Mr Pearl’s kidnapping in an attempt to win freedom for al Qaeda members who were imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay.
Omar and three others who were jailed for life lodged appeals that remain pending in Pakistan.
LeJ also planned a suicide attack on a hotel near Karachi airport where US soldiers were staying in December 2002, but the bomb exploded while it was being prepared and killed one of Asadullah’s associates instead.
In 2003, the group sent parcel bombs to police officers, injuring many people.
Ask general mahmood Ahmed that to whom he assigned this job.Now this soldier of Islam in part of tableegih group and guiding Muslims to be good Muslims under his commandments those he learn while he was ISI chief.
Great Job and Kudos to the police for arresting these barbaric terrorists. These ignorant terrorists who are hijacking Islam by committing hideous crimes must be dealt harshly and make an example for others so there can be peace. These fools are not Muslims they are barbaric animals who has no religion nor are human beings.
Totally agree.
There can be no peace untill the barbarians are all crushed.
It is nice to know the terrorist is finally captured in Karachi.
I wonder why did it take so long for them to capture a high profile terrorist. He must had a falling out with the authorities in Pakistan.
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