AIG says plan formulated in Afghanistan, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of TTP, behind the attack
Haqnawaz Shinwari
PESHAWAR
In a notable progress in the investigation into the Peshawar Police Lines mosque, police have finally traced the mastermind and facilitator behind the bloodiest attack.
Addressing an important press conference here on Friday, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional Inspector General (AIG) Shaukat Abbas and DIG CTD Sohail Khalid revealed that a suicide bomber who accompanied the key bomber linked to the Peshawar mosque bombing has also been arrested.
“ A second suicide bomber was also prepared to carry out the attack on the moque had the first one failed,” AIG Shaukat Abbas claimed.
Mr Abbas asserted that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s group known as Jamaat-ul-Ahrar was behind the attack, adding the plan was formulated in Afghanistan.
CTD chief furthered that the arrested bomber named Imtiaz, who remained under training in Afghanistan’s province of Kundus alongwith the key suspect Qari.
According to a press release issued by the CTD that Qari, who blew himself up in the Peshawar Police Lines mosque, was the resident of tribal district Mohmand.
It said that Qari, the organizational name of the bomber, and accused Imtiaz obtained suicide training from Akhtoka area of Afghanistan under the supervision of Molvi Basir.
The law enforcement agencies senior officials have claimed that the centre was also providing training another five to six suicides.
“ The arrested suspect Imtiaz and suicide bomber Qari travelled to Pakistan from Afghanistan together,” CTD DIG added and said that information have been obtained that the mastermind of both of above-mentioned suiciders was Ghaffar who was in contact with Qari before the attack.
AIG Shaukat Abbas told reporters that as soon as the attack took place, the law enforcement agencies launched a comprehensive investigation and after almost two and a half months the mastermind and handler of the bomber were traced and their organization was also unearthed.
Mr Abbas maintained that the law enforcement agencies identified the suicide bomber with the help of some 300 cameras and traced handler and prime mastermind behind the attack.
It is pertinent to mentio here that at least 84 people, many of them policemen, were martyred and more than 233 sustained injuries after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines during the afternoon prayers on January 30th.
The mosque where the attack took place is considered a highly fortified compound in the provincial metropolis. It includes the headquarters of KP police force and the offices of CTD.
The blast was so powerful that it had brought down the upper storey of the mosque, trapped almost all the worshipers in the rubble.
The attack was the worst terrorist act in Peshawar since March last year, when a suicide bombing at a mosque during Friday prayers killed at least 58 people and injured nearly 200.
