Pak Army Brigadier Ali Khan Arrested for Alleged Links with CIA-backed Militant Group 'Hizbul Tahrir': DG ISPR Major General Athar Abbass

Brigadier Ali Khan Arrested for Alleged Links with Hizbul Tahrir

A brigadier from Pakistan Army has reportedly been arrested for alleged links with banned militant group ‘Hizbul Tahrir’. Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) has confirmed the detention of brigadier without commenting any further citing the pending investigation.

According to details; the Brigadier Ali Khan, appointed at the Regulation Directorate in General Headquarters (GHQ) was arrested during a joint operation by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) earlier this year.

Brigadier Ali Khan was under surveillance of ISI and MI for almost six month before he was picked ultimately from outside his home on May 6. The surveillance started when few ‘suspicious’ individuals were spotted visiting brigadier’s home very frequently. Ultimately, the call records of Khan’s cell phone validated the suspicions of intelligence agencies. 

Sources said Brigadier Ali Khan was linked to the section of militants that had direct ties with the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) and the military intelligence agencies arrested him to probe this connection. 

Major General Athar Abbass, Director General ISPR, told that the detention of Brigadier Ali Khan was not made public due to sensitivity of the issue and mainly because of pending investigations against him. 

Major General Athar Abbass further told that the Brigadier Ali Khan was linked to Hizbul Tahrir, a militant group barred in 2003 by former president Pervez Musharraf. He said the enquiry was at early stages and it was untimely to comment any further. He denied any network of senior military officers having links with militants.