India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Former Pakistan Air Force Chief Air Vice Marshal Baharul Haq, the father of Faisal Shahzad, who has been accused of plotting the failed Times Square bombing, has been taken into custody for interrogation. According to The Daily Times, Pakistani intelligence agencies have arrested Haq for questioning his son's involvement in last week's bungled bombing attempt at New York's Times Square. It may be noted that Haq along with his other family members had vacated their Hayatabad house and left for an undisclosed location just hours after news regarding Shahzad's involvement in the bombing plot was flashed. Haq was seen vacating his house situated in a posh locality of Hayatabad town as soon as media started converging outside his residence to learn more about Shahzad, a private television channel said. Eyewitnesses said Haq along with other male and female members of the family left for some unknown destination in a car to avoid the media glare. None of Shahzad's family members have spoken to the media about his arrest in New York over alleged involvement in terror activities. Air Vice Marshal Haq had retired from the Pakistan Air Force few years ago. His brother Major General (retired) Tajul Haq reportedly served as the Inspector General of Frontier Corps (IGFC). Shahzad, 30, was arrested on Tuesday while he was trying to board a plane to Dubai. Soon after his arrest media reports said that eight to ten people had also been arrested in Pakistan in connection with the failed bombing plot. Earlier, US officials said Shahzad has admitted to his role in the Times Square bombing plot, saying he had received bomb-making training in Pakistan. During interrogation, Shahzad, who had returned from Pakistan in February, said that he received training in the restive tribal region in Pakistan along the Afghanistan border, a stronghold of the Tehreeke-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), adding that he was alone in the bombing plot and didn't receive any help from banned terror groups operating from that region.

Shahzad's ex-PAF chief father taken into custody for interrogation