Islamabad: In a major catch, Pakistani authorities today nabbed a top militant suspected of beheading the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. Rao Shakir, a suspected member of banned Sunni
militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, was arrested from Bhara Kahu
on the outskirts of the federal capital late last night,
police said.
The militant is believed by the police to be closely
linked to al-Qaeda and Taliban groups and their commanders.
Pearl was abducted from Karachi in 2002 while doing a
story on militant funding. His remains were later found in a
grave on outskirts of the port city.
Shakir is also linked to several terrorist strikes,
including a suicide attack on a bus of a spy agency, the
suicide bombing of the Marriott Hotel last year and an attack
in Rawalpindi.
Officials said police had been hunting for Shakir for
a long time. A police spokesman said his accomplices were
arrested earlier. The arrested man also allegedly provided
safe houses to militants.
Shakir`s arrest comes as Pakistani military in
continued operations maintained its pressure on the Taliban in
the restive north west region killing two and capturing six
other militants.
Bureau Report
