In the later hours of Sunday Ahsan Ullah MiaKhail, who identifies himself as a human rights worker Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) activist, posted a video on his Twitter handle with the comment: “Huge #blast at Military Hospital in #Rawalpindi, #Pakistan. 10 injured shifted to the emergency. Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azahar is admitted here. Completely Media blackout by Army. Media asked Strictly not to cover this story (sic).” This led to a foray of tweets claiming injuries to around 10 or more people.
No One Injured or Killed, I am 100% Fit & Healthy: Masood Azhar To India
The Indian Intelligence agencies confirmed that Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar was one among the possible 10 injured in the speculated blast at Rawalpindi military hospital.
There was credible information coming in from Pakistan security forces that there was indeed a powerful blast at the hospital on Monday. Azhar was speculated to have been at the hospital around the time of the blast for treatment relating to renal failure.
The Jaish-e-Mohammed chief is said to be a regular visitor at the Rawalpindi military hospital for dialysis as he suffers from acute renal failure.
The hospital, a well-guarded facility located inside the cantonment area houses the headquarters of Pakistan Army. While Azhar may have escaped unscathed, the attack on a seemingly impregnable Pakistani military facility would have surely taken everyone by surprise
Azhar had narrowly escaped the air strikes at Balakot as he was believed to have been undergoing treatment at the Rawalpindi hospital within that duration. The Jaish Chief was then supposedly taken to a secure and protected facility by Jaish loyalists.
Some rumours suggested that this could have been an orchestrated attack to eliminate Maulana Masood Azhar owing to the liability that he poses to be for the Pakistani Army.
This conspiracy comes in line with the recent FATF warning and threat of blacklisting owing to Pakistan’s credible involvement in terror funding activities. Though these are ungrounded manifestations there is a serious threat to the reputation of the country and the powers in Islamabad are vying to prove a point.
