Pearl kidnapped as he found evidence against Jaish: Daily
PTI
Islamabad, February 2
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A Pakistan newspaper said on Saturday that one reason why US Journalist Daniel Pearl could have been abducted was that he found evidence that militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad still operated its bank accounts and its office in Bhawalpur in Punjab province despite the ban imposed by the government.
The daily The News in its editorial said the reason why Pearl could have been abducted was because he was following leads to write about how police permitted hardcore Islamic groups to function despite the ban imposed recently.
Yet another possible cause for Pearl's ordeal could be the story he was following said the militant group in Pakistan was thriving despite the crackdown. He had quoted Jaish-e-Muhammad representatives saying that police left behind enough people to keep their office running.
He also found a Jaish regional centre near Bhawalpur, operating as well as a still-functioning bank account despite a freeze ordered by the (Pakistan) State Bank, it said.
Bahawalpur is a major town in Pakistan's Punjab province which housed the headquarters of Jaish.
Whatever the reasons behind Pearl's kidnapping and whether or not he is freed, the episode has serious ramifications for freedom of media in Pakistan and on perceptions about Pakistan in the world, the paper said. "If ever the truth comes out, that is if Pearl survives the ordeal, it would not be very palatable for Pakistan", it said.
Meanwhile, replying to questions about yesterday's allegations by Pakistan Foreign Minster, Abdul Sattar that a key suspect in the case Mubarak Ali Shah Gilani made a phone calls to Indian officials, Foreign Office Spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan told a media briefing here that he has nothing to add to what has been stated by the Minister.
"Investigations are going on. There is no further information I can give you", he said stating that what Sattar said was more or the less the same as what has been said by Pakistan's military spokesman Maj Gen Rashi Qureshi on Jan 31.
Gen. Qureshi said that an Indian linkage has been established but declined to elaborate. He, however, did not attend Saturday's briefing, while Khan parried all the questions on the subject saying that he has nothing more to say.
Interestingly, Sattar's allegations followed a detailed story in the same newspaper on Friday that Gilani, who was bandied as a prime suspect by Pakistan in the Pearl kidnapping case, actually told his interrogators that he had provided "invaluable services" to Pakistans security services in the past and has given names of a number of serving and retired security officials.
In the background of these reports, Sattar's comments yesterday that Gilani was in touch with Indian officials over the phone came as a surprise.
The newspaper also in its report shot down the claims that Gilani could be considered as a prime suspect in the case as he has not offered any tangible clues to locate Pearl.
Police made no headway in his abduction case even though it was four days since Gilani surrendered.
After Gilani's surrender, the needle of suspicion actually turned on to Arif alias Hashim who was believed to be an activist of Jaish, whom Pearl reported to have met last. The investigations hit the wall as Arif's family told police that he was reported to have been killed in Afghanistan |
