MANSEHRA – Two Pakistan Taliban terrorists have been arrested for their involvement in the kidnapping and killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl and several terror-related activities in the country, officials said on Friday.
The Counter-Terrorism Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mansehra district said they are the most dreaded terrorists of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Daniel Pearl, who was the South Asia Bureau Chief of The Wall Street Journal, was kidnapped and later beheaded by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002.
Manshera Police during an intelligence based operation arrested the two terrorists of defunct Tahrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) including Azeem Jan alias Qari Khaksar resident of Madakhail District Torghar and Muhammad Anwar son of Muhammad Ayub resident of Shaikul Bandi Abbottabad.
The CTD press release stated that Azeem Jan alias Qari Khaksar was an active member of TTP Karachi and also remained member of TTP Swat and Shangla. He was a master trainer of suicide bombing and provided trained suicide bombers to the TTP. Azeem Jan was also the chief of financial affairs of TTP Miranshah.
It was further disclosed that Azeem jan also killed Maulana Izharul Haq Jhangvi which triggered Shia-Sunni conflict in Pakistan and his companions committed the Hazaraganji bomb blast where 143 Hazara community people were killed. He was also involved in killing of SSP Chaudhary Aslam in Karachi.
CTD press release further disclosed that terrorist Azeem Jan alias Hakeem Jan was also involved in terrorist attack on French embassy staff Karachi and provided trained suicide bombers for the attack on former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf. He also attacked an Army convoy and camp at Miranshah where many soldiers were martyred. His group was also involved in attack on Shangla Top police post where many policemen lost their lives.
Another arrested terrorist Muhammad Anwar got one year training from Khyber district. In 2015 he was involved in attack on Daewoo terminal Peshawar where two policemen were martyred. He was also involved in targeting the Shia and Sunni leadership in district Abbottabad.
The arrested terrorists were shifted to unknown location for further interrogation.
