LAHORE: Pakistani authorities said on Friday they had arrested a “close associate” of Al-Qaeda founder and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks Osama bin Laden.
Counter-terrorism officials in the most populous province of Punjab swooped in on Amin Ul-Haq in the city of Gujrat, accusing him of planning “sabotage activities” and seeking to “target important installations” in the country.
“The arrest of Amin Ul-Haq is a major victory in the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in Pakistan and worldwide,” a statement from Punjab’s Counter Terrorism Department said.He was listed by the United States, the European Union and the United Nations as an associate of Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden, the head of Punjab’s counter-terrorism department, Usman Akram Gonadal, said in a press conference.“He resurfaced after the withdrawal of western NATO forces (from Afghanistan). He visited Afghanistan in August and he began his efforts to reorganise Al-Qaeda.”