4 army majors grilled over Hizb links

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army said on Wednesday it had questioned four majors over links to the banned Hizbul Tahrir group.Their questioning followed the arrest of a brigadier who was serving in military headquarters in the garrison town of Rawalpindi. Brigadier Ali Khan, detained last month, was the highest-ranking serving officer arrested in a decade. His detention was announced only on Tuesday.Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told Reuters on Wednesday the four majors had been questioned but had not been detained. “They are being questioned in relation to the brigadier case,” he said.The arrest of the brigadier has raised fears about the growth in the military of the radical group, which sees nuclear-armed Pakistan as a powerful potential base for the establishment of a caliphate.The family of the arrested brigadier has denied he has any ties with extremist groups and has demanded he be released. Hizbul Tahrir says it is non-violent, but security analysts say they believe it acts as a gateway to violent militant groups. – Dailytimes