Xinhua : Pakistan releases more details about British terror suspect Rashid Rauf

Pakistan releases more details about British terror suspect Rashid Rauf

BEIJING, Aug. 18 -- Pakistan has released more details about British terror suspect Rashid Rauf. He was arrested last week in connection with an alleged plot to blow up several passenger jets in mid air.

Top Pakistani officials say that Rauf belongs to the outlawed militant anti-India group Jaish-e-Mohammed, and is related to its leader, Maulana Masood Azhar, by marriage.

Absar Alam, editor of "The nation" said, "According to some sources, he was arrested from Bhawalpur, from the same house where Maulana Masood Azhar's relatives are living. And according to our information he is married to one of the close relatives of Masood Azhar's daughter. So that's where the link developed."

Azhar is accused of a string of deadly attacks on Indian targets including one on the parliament building in Delhi in December 2001.

While there is no evidence that the group is linked to the alleged plot to target up to ten transatlantic passenger flights, senior Pakistani intelligence officers allege that strong links with al-Qaida are emerging.

They say that Rauf recruited and made contacts with people in Pakistan and the UK, and selected suicide bombers to take part in the attacks.

Rauf remains in police custody, and is considered the alleged ringleader. British agents are in Islamabad to hold talks with Pakistani authorities, who say Rauf could be deported to Britain even though the two countries don't have a common extradition treaty.

Rauf's arrest is widely believed to have triggered a huge police operation in Britain last week in which 24 suspects were arrested.

(Source: CCTV.com)