ISLAMABAD ? Pakistan on Tuesday said it had arrested a high-ranking army officer for alleged connections to militant groups, a rare public acknowledgment of possible ties between this country?s military and the organizations it is battling.
The arrest comes amid rising concern that Pakistan?s military is penetrated by Islamists who are sympathetic to insurgent groups that have declared war on the state. Last month, a naval base in Karachi was stormed by heavily armed fighters in an attack that was widely believed to have required inside help.
The arrested officer was identified Tuesday as Brig. Ali Khan, whose rank is equivalent to that of a one-star general.
A Pakistani military official who declined to be quoted by name said the officer had been stationed at the Pakistani military?s general headquarters in Rawalpindi. He was working in the military?s regulations department at the time of his arrest.
Military officials said Khan was being questioned, but did not provide details on which militant groups he is suspected of helping or whether he had been linked to a specific attack.
Tuesday?s reported arrest follows the disclosure last week that Pakistan had detained for questioning a number of Pakistanis who had helped the CIA gather information about Osama bin Laden?s compound in the northern city of Abbottabad.
Among those picked up was a serving army major.
Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=b7f1a3a1d01cc748ce162b93d6e69771
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