JeM chief Masood Azhar living in posh locality in Pakistan's Bahawalpur as State guest: Report

New Delhi: Pakistan has ensured that India’s most wanted terrorist Masood Azhar, who has been charge-sheeted in several cases from the 2001 Parliament attack to the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, remains in a densely populated area so that an operation similar to the one by the US against Osama bin Laden is not possible, according to a report by a newly launched Hindi news channel. According to Times Now Navbharat channel, it has “accessed undeniable visual evidence” that confirms Pakistan’s “deep state is still providing a safe haven to terror masterminds” including Masood Azhar, who heads Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group. The news channel said in a release that Masood has two houses in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur with one located right next to the Osman-O-Ali Masjid and the National Orthopedic and General Hospital. Pakistani army jawans have been stationed outside his house to secure their prized asset, the release said, adding the motive is simple - with a mosque and hospital next to his house “an Osama-like operation becomes virtually impossible” while the residential surroundings will give Masood and his friends an opportunity to escape in case of a strike. The second house of Masood is also located in Bahawalpur, nearly four kilometers away from the first. It also lies next to a mosque known as Jamia Mosque and the Bahawalpur bench of the Lahore High Court is just a kilometer away from Masood’s second home, while the District Collector’s office is just at a distance of three kilometers. Again, the channel said, Pakistani army personnel in uniform were seen guarding Masood’’s bungalow and added that the “global terrorist resides in a posh locality of Pakistan as a state guest.” Azhar is wanted in the Parliament attack case, terror strike at Pathankot airbase and even in the 2019 case of a suicide attacker of the terror outfit killing 40 CRPF personnel in South Kashmir. He was among the three terrorists released by Indian authorities after the 1999 Kandahar hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane. He went to Pakistan and started his new terror outfit by the name of Jaish-e-Mohammed. India has been trying for sanctions against him at the United Nations but the same has been obstructed by China. After the Abbottabad incident in 2011 when the US Seals killed Al Qaeda terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, Pakistan seems to have ensured that Masood’s hideout remains in a densely populated area to avoid suspicion and a possible raid. The report is aimed at showing how Pakistan continues to shelter, secure and safeguard terrorists and use terror as a state policy. India has submitted dossiers after dossiers to Islamabad to bring the terrorists to book but to no avail.