Pakistan arrests top financier of Al-Qaeda, other terror groups
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 17 September 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Pakistan arrests top financier of Al-Qaeda, other terror groups, 17 September 2015, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/561d04767.html [accessed 17 December 2015] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 17, 2015
Pakistani police have arrested a former air force pilot who allegedly helped finance Al-Qaeda's newly formed South Asian affiliate and high-profile terror attacks, officials said on September 16.
Counterterrorism official Naveed Khawaja announced the arrest of Syed Sheaba Ahmad in the southern port city of Karachi.
Khawaja described Ahmad as a businessman with two chemical companies in Karachi and Iran who financed militant groups "on a large scale."
He said the suspect made large donations to the Afghan Taliban before supporting Al-Qaeda's South Asian affiliate.
He provided financial support to militants who killed 50 members of Pakistan's Ismaili Shi'ite minority when gunmen stormed a bus in May.
"Ahmad not only financed the terrorist act, but motivated and brainwashed the key suspects of the Safoora Goth tragedy," Khawaja said.
Police are investigating the suspect's possible links to the Islamic State, which has recently made inroads in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Khawaja said authorities have found "Daesh messages" on his computer.
Ahmad served as a Pakistani Air Force pilot until 1998. At one time, he delivered sermons in an upscale mosque in Karachi.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
