Tariq Saeed Peshawar
The deadly Peshawar Police Lines blast that had eaten up around 100 people was masterminded in Afghanistan by the defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, CTD claimed on Friday.
Provincial metropolis Peshawar, it may be recalled, was bathed in the blood when a powerful suicide explosion ripped through a mosque in a “highly secured” Police lines on January 30 last leaving around 100 people dead and more than 200 seriously injured. A majority of those killed and wounded were the policemen including officers.
Addressing a press conference CTD Peshawar additional IG Shaukat Abbas said the mastermind of the Peshawar blast has been traced and Peshawar Police Lines blast was planned in Afghanistan by the Jamaat ul Ahrar group of proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
The Additional Inspector General said that Ghaffar alias Salman was the mastermind of the suicide attack, who was in contact with the suicide bomber Qari. He said the Police have also traced the name of the facilitator, which will not be revealed due to security issues.
Shaukat Abbas said the Counter-Terrorism Department has arrested another terrorist involved in the Peshawar Police Lines blast named Imtiaz, who remained under training in Afghanistan’s province of Kundus adding Imtiaz was also a suicide bomber who had to blow himself up in case Qari failed to get the job done.
The CTD Peshawar, it may be recalled, had announced Rs10 million reward for anyone providing information about the bomber or his facilitator.