2 French men with terror links held in Pak
Two French Muslim men have been detained by law enforcement agencies here for alleged links with terrorist groups in the country. Sharafuddin, a Pakistani-born French national, and Zohaib Afzal, a French national of Moroccan origin, had arrived in Lahore about two months ago from France, sources said.
Acting on a tip-off, security personnel picked them up from the airport and shifted them to an interrogation cell, the sources said. The French nationals wanted to go the Waziristan tribal region — a safe haven for Taliban and al-Qaeda elements— to take part in jihad.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Rao Sardar Ali Khan said the police were not involved in the arrest. Western media reports have said the two French nationals were linked to Indonesian militant Umar Patek, who was arrested in northwest Pakistan in January.
Their case is similar to that of five US Muslims, arrested in Pakistan, over a year ago who wanted to join al-Qaeda elements in North Waziristan.
Meanwhile, observing that the Central Intelligence Agency does not trust its Pakitsani counterpart the Inter Services Intelligence because it has demonstrated that it isn’t trustworthy, a top US daily Friday said Pakistan needs to be a given an ultimatum on the same lines as it was after 9/11.
“In the wake of 9/11, the Bush Administration sent Secretary of State Colin Powell to Islamabad to explain that the US was going to act forcefully to protect itself, and that Pakistan had to choose whose side it was on. It’s time to present Pakistan with the same choice again,” The Wall Street Journal said in opinion piece ‘The Pakistan Ultimatum’.
(source:.indianexpress.com)
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