Pakistan captures close associate of Osama Bin Laden
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Pakistani authorities have announced the arrest of Amin Ul-Haq, a close associate of Al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden.
Ul-Haq is accused of planning "sabotage activities" and targeting important installations within the country.
This arrest was carried out by counter-terrorism officials in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, in the city of Gujrat.
"The arrest of Amin Ul-Haq is a major victory in the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in Pakistan and worldwide," stated Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department.
Ul-Haq has been recognized as an associate of Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden by the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations. According to Usman Akram Gonadal, head of Punjab's counter-terrorism department, Ul-Haq resurfaced after the withdrawal of Western NATO forces from Afghanistan, visited the country in August, and began efforts to reorganize Al-Qaeda.
In 2001, US troops, supported by NATO, toppled the Taliban's first regime after they refused to hand over Al-Qaeda terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Osama Bin Laden was later found living in Pakistan and was killed in a US operation in 2011.
The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, ousting the foreign-backed government after two decades of conflict with US and NATO forces. Since then, militancy has surged along Pakistan's border, with Islamabad accusing the Taliban of harboring groups that plan attacks on Pakistan.
Despite Taliban assurances that foreign terrorist outfits would not operate from Afghanistan, relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated over this issue. In response to the increasing violence, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a comprehensive new military campaign to curb the unrest.