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Pakistan arrests former Lashkar chief

Pakistan on Monday arrested Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the former chief of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, a top security official said.

"He has been arrested for making inflammatory speeches to incite people," the official, who requested anonymity, said.

LeT along with another Pakistan-based terrorist outfit, the Jaish-e-Mohammed, has been blamed for the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament earlier this month.

Security sources said the arrest was part of the government's recent crackdown on suspected terrorist elements in the country in line with its wider commitment to fight international terrorism.

"Pakistan continues with its drive to contain terrorist elements within the country as it continues to assist the international coalition against terrorism," another security official said.

Analysts believe Saeed's arrest is a significant gesture of Pakistan's desire to defuse the dangerously high levels of brinkmanship between the two nuclear rivals.

Military tensions between the South Asian neighbours have soared since the attack on Parliament, with both sides massing troops along their border and trading tit-for-tat diplomatic sanctions.

Islamabad has denied any role in the attack, but has arrested 60 militants from different extremist groups, including the founding head of the Jaish group, Maulana Masood Azhar.

PTI

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