ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday arrested 44 members of banned outfits including a brother of Maulana Masood Azhar.

State Minister for Information Minister Shehryar Afiri said at a press conference that the action is not result of any pressure.

Mufti Abdur Rauf, brother of Maulana Azhar, and Hammad Azhar are among those arrested during the crackdown.

The minister said the action would be taken against all the proscribed organizations.

Secretary Interior said dossier shared by Indian government with Pakistan also contained names of Mufti Abdur Rauf and Hammad Azhar.

Senior journalist Hamid Mir said the crackdown was launched as part of National Action Plan (NAP), adding that the people arrested during the crackdown offered no resistance as law enforcers took them into custody.

He said number of detainees would rise as the crackdown was expected to continue for days.



