Father of al-Qaeda India Chief Lives in Fear, Agony

For the father of the recently-arrested chief of al-Qaeda India, it has been a long wait.

(Photo: The Quint)

Over 20 years ago a young man away from his home in Uttar Pradesh. The man went on to become the head of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), who was arrested on Thursday.

Seven months ago, Sanaul Haq’s 80-year-old father, Irfan-ul-Haq, received news of his son’s transition into a terrorist from intelligence officials, living in fear since then.

They came knocking at our door once again. Some years after he left home, officers from the intelligence and CBI came looking for him, saying he was involved in terrorist activities. It was a harrowing time for us. We would get scared every time there was a knock on the door. But that died down. Then, around seven months ago, they came again to tell us that our son was alive. He was better dead for us.

Irfan-ul-Haq

He lives in a single-storey house at Mohalla Deepa Sarai village in Sambhal, 158 km from Delhi with his 72-year-old wife.

Sanaul Haq was arrested on Thursday. (Photo: Twitter)

Irfan’s family was well respected in the village because his grandfather was a district magistrate and his father a mukhiya. But things have changed now.

During my childhood, the local police used to come to our home to discuss major issues regarding the village. Now they come to ask about my son. They came first in 1999, saying my son was linked to terror activities following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.

Irfan-ul-Haq

Yes, Irfan is happy, thanks to his other children.

“One son is a teacher with a private school in Moradabad and the other is working in Delhi as an engineer,” he said.