A Jaish-e-Mohammad member, Shahid Latif, was released from Indian jails after an 11-year sentence as a gesture of goodwill by the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in 2010, The Times of India reports.
According to the report, the 47-year-old was one of the 25 people released on 28 May 2010 as a part of the peace process with Pakistan.
Latif was the key handler of the JeM suicide squad which ambushed an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot on 2 January, according to the report.
Latif’s release has, in essence, backfired as the peace process between India and Pakistan remains on shaky ground, especially following the attack in Pathankot.
Sentenced, Released, Deported
Latif was sentenced to 16 years of vigorous imprisonment by a Prevention of Terrorism Court in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir on 13 October 2003. A fine of Rs 40,000 was levied upon him for terrorist activities, according to a report in The Times of India.
Sources in the intelligence agencies claim that Latif is a close aide of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar.
Latif’s release was sought by the same terrorist who had hijacked the Air India Flight IC-814 demanding Azhar’s release from an Indian jail in exchange for 154 passengers onboard.
Reason for Latif’s Release
There is, however, some confusion around the reason behind Latif’s release. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra, tweeted a taunt to the Congress-led UPA government on Tuesday.
While The Times of India report by Neeraj Chauhan claims that the terrorist was exchanged as a goodwill gesture; Vijaita Singh, Senior Assistant Editor at The Hindu claims that Latif’s jail term had ended when he was deported to Pakistan. She tweeted in response to Patra’s tweet saying:
The JeM member was not the only suspected mastermind behind the Pathankot attack. Masood Azhar’s brother Abdul Rauf is one of the three main planners of the attack. Since the attack, the Indian government has formally requested the Pakistan government for information regarding the suspects, including Latif.
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