Maulana Masood Azhar

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Maulana Masood Azhar is a former clergyman from Bahawalpur, Pakistan. He is a leading terrorist active in anti-peace activities in the Kashmir vally. He founded the hardcore militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed after he was released by India in exchange of the passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999.

Jaish is also suspected to have closely worked with Lashkar-e-Taiba in carrying out planned attacks on the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001.

He also figures in the list of top 20 criminals wanted by the Government of India.

In a documentary on Al Jazeera TV network during the second week of september 2006, Abu Jandal(former bodyguard of Osama Bin Laden) recounted a "lavish" party that Laden threw for Maulana Masood Azhar, who was released by India in 1999 after some terrorists hijacked IC-814 from Kathmandu to Kandahar.

According to Jandal, Laden asked him to keep Stinger missiles ready as the Indian aircraft was coming into Kandahar, with Azhar, Omar Sheikh and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar.

A few days later, Laden welcomed Azhar back as old friends. It's not the first time that the Al Qaida link has been revealed. In the years after 9/11, even Al Qaida No. 2 Ayman Al Zawahiri has taken potshots at India.