Masood Azhar, mastermind behind 2001 Parliament attack, suffers heart attack
Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) founder Maulana Masood Azhar suffered a heart attack on Thursday. Reportedly, Azhar was passing through Afghanistan's Khost province when he fell ill. After his heart attack, Azhar was taken to Pakistan for treatment and is currently admitted at the Combined Military Hospital in Karachi.
Azhar's medical treatment and transfer plans
Cardiologists from Islamabad have been called to supervise Azhar's treatment in Karachi. There are also talks of moving him to a bigger military hospital in Rawalpindi for further treatment. The exact details of his health condition are still not known.
Azhar's terror charges and India's demand for action
Azhar is a globally recognized terrorist, responsible for masterminding several high-profile attacks in India. These include the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack. Following recent reports of Azhar's public address in Bahawalpur, India has demanded strong action from Pakistan against him. "We demand that strong action be taken against him (Azhar) and he should be brought to justice," said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Pakistan's denial and former minister's revelation
Jaiswal further said if reports of Azhar being in Pakistan are true, it "exposes the duplicity of Pakistan." This comes after former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto in 2022 hinted that Azhar had fled to Afghanistan. The recent health scare of Azhar has once again put the spotlight on Pakistan's role in sheltering terrorists, a charge Islamabad has always denied.
