Indian spy, three sons arrested in Charsadda

21 other suspects also nabbed, arms recovered

CHARSADDA: The security forces and the police arrested an Indian spy, who was a former employee of the Indian embassy in Afghanistan, and his three sons, during a search operation in the district, official sources said on Sunday.

They also arrested 21 suspects and recovered arms from their possession during the search, the sources added. "The law-enforcers launched door-to-door search operation in various areas including Mahmoodabad, Umarzai and Dhaki early in the day on the basis of information about the presence of foreigners there," said an official.

The sources said the security forces arrested an Afghan national identified as Naveed Khan, whose real name is stated to be Khan Agha, and his three sons Noor Agha, Rahimullah and Khanum Khan from Mahmoodabad. They said the forces also arrested another foreigner in the search operation but his identity could not be ascertained. The sources said that Khan Agha used to work at the Indian embassy in Kabul in the past. They added that Khan Agha later shifted to Umarzai village in Charsadda and settled there. They said he managed to secure a Pakistani identity cardfraudulently and changed his name to Naveed Khan. "His name in the computerised national identity card is Naveed Khan," said an official.

The sources said that one of Khan Agha's brothers was also an employee at the Indian embassy and had been arrested by the Pakistan Army earlier. The sources said Khan Agha, his three sons and the other unidentified foreigner were later shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

They sources added that the forces had also arrested 21 suspects during the search operation and seized three Kalashnikovs, two Kalakovs, two SMGs, six pistols, a rifle and hundreds of cartridges from their possession.