PAKISTAN has ensured that India’s most wanted terrorist Masood Azhar, who has been chargesheeted 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.”