Pakistan Arrests Members of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Close Associates of Its Leader

On Tuesday, March 5, the Pakistani Interior Ministry announced that 44 members of illegal groups, including Jaish-e-Mohammed and close associates of its leader, have been arrested. According to Reuters, Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for a suicide attack against Indian police forces in Kashmir last month, which left at least 40 dead. In response to this suicide attack, India targeted the group's base in Pakistan with airstrikes. The Pakistani Interior Ministry stated that the arrests are part of intensified actions against illegal groups. It added that Mufti Abdul Raoof and Hamid Azhar, the brother and son of Masood Azhar, the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, were arrested in a 'preventive' measure. However, Pakistani officials claim that the actions against illegal groups were pre-planned and not related to the tensions between Pakistan and India. The suicide attack on Indian police forces in Kashmir last month escalated the crisis between Islamabad and New Delhi. Reuters noted that the release of the captured Indian pilot in Pakistan last Friday somewhat reduced tensions between the two countries. In this context, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry also announced that a delegation from Pakistan will travel to India to negotiate with Indian officials regarding an agreement on Sikh pilgrim visits to Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Pakistani government has added two Islamic charitable organizations linked to Hafiz Saeed to its list of terrorist groups. Hafiz Saeed is the founder of the jihadist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, which the U.S. and India accuse of involvement in deadly attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai attack that left 166 dead. According to this report, Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the Foundation of Humanity Welfare have been included in this list.