Malik Ishaq, leader of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group, has been arrested by authorities in central Pakistan.
Ishaq surrendered on Friday in front of media in his home in the city of Rahim Yar Khan.
Ishaq's surrender comes less than a week after the armed pro-Sunni group, banned since 2001, claimed responsibility for a market bombing that killed more than 80 Shia Muslims in Balochistan province.
Ashfaq Gujar, a senior police officer, said Ishaq, arrested on government orders, has been sent to a high-security jail as he has been detained for one month under pre-emptive law.
Ishaq and his associates have been investigated in the past. Ishaq himself was imprisoned for 14 years on charges, never proven, of killing Shias. He was released in July 2011.
Ishaq was briefly detained last year following attacks against Shias.
LeJ has targeted the Hazara ethnic minority in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, for several years now.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Pakistan arrests head of sectarian group
Malik Ishaq, leader of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group, has been arrested by authorities in central Pakistan.
Ishaq surrendered on Friday in front of media in his home in the city of Rahim Yar Khan.
Ishaq's surrender comes less than a week after the armed pro-Sunni group, banned since 2001, claimed responsibility for a market bombing that killed more than 80 Shia Muslims in Balochistan province.
Ashfaq Gujar, a senior police officer, said Ishaq, arrested on government orders, has been sent to a high-security jail as he has been detained for one month under pre-emptive law.
Ishaq and his associates have been investigated in the past. Ishaq himself was imprisoned for 14 years on charges, never proven, of killing Shias. He was released in July 2011.
Ishaq was briefly detained last year following attacks against Shias.
LeJ has targeted the Hazara ethnic minority in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, for several years now.
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