Islamabad: Defying government orders banning his entry, outlawed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar on May 15 reached Kotli town in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), a private television channel, Geo TV reported.

However, local officials denied that the Jaish leader, blamed for masterminding the December 2001 attack on Indian Parliament, had managed to enter PoK in connection with the birthday celebrations of Prophet Mohammed.

The TV channel said Azhar, who was released by India in 1999 for release of passengers of the Indian Airlines plane hijacked to Kandahar, appeared in Kotli much to the surprise of officials there.

Pakistan government on May 14 banned his entry into PoK and had ordered setting up of pickets to prevent Azhar from addressing a public rally in Kotli on May 15.

Jaish-e-Mohammad was banned by President Pervez Musharraf in 2002. Azhar who was kept in preventive detention was released a few months ago. He had criticised the order barring him entering POK as a means of "appeasing" India.

PTI