Shahid Latif, mastermind of Pathankot attack, killed in Pakistan
Patrick D Costa
Pathankot attack mastermind Shahid Latif was killed by unknown assailants in Sialkot city in Pakistan. The slain Jaish militant was on India’s ‘most wanted’ list. The Sialkot police is yet to say anything about who attacked Latif. An investigation into the incident has started.
41-year-old Latif is a long-time member of the anti-India militant outfit Jaish. According to Indian intelligence, he was the mastermind behind the Pathankot attack on January 2, 2016. Latif planned the attack from Sialkot. Four Jaish militants were sent to Pathankot on his orders. In November 1994, Latif was arrested by the UAPA on charges of illegal and terrorist activities in India. He was jailed for several years. Jaish militants returned to Pakistan in 2010 at the end of the sentence.
According to Indian intelligence, this Latif was also involved in the 1999 Indian Airlines hijacking incident. According to the NIA detectives, Latif was again involved in militant activities after returning to Pakistan. But who killed Latif in Sialkot is still a mystery.