KARACHI, Nov 23: Police are making efforts to arrest the prime suspect in the PIDC House carbomb explosion who has been seen in the clips of a surveillance camera.

Well-placed sources said on Wednesday that the arrested suspects, Abdul Aziz Baloch and Mangla Khan Baloch, had told investigators that one, Abdul Hameed Baloch, was the prime suspect as he had been involved in bomb-making, choosing the target and parking the explosive-laden car in front of the PIDC House. Police believed the target was the office of the Pakistan Petroleum Limited, located in the PIDC House.

The bomb-laden car exploded in front of the PIDC House on Nov 15, killing three people and inuring 21 others. Two days after the explosion, the police had arrested three suspects, Abdul Aziz, Mangla Khan, and Abdul Jabbar Baloch for their alleged involvement in the explosion. According to police claim, all were affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army.

The sources said that a close analysis of the clips recorded by a surveillance camera showed that Abdul Aziz parked the bomb-laden car in front of the PIDC House and beside him, another man was seen sitting in the car. Having parked the car, both had got into another car, driven by Mangla Khan, brother of Aziz, and escaped.

They said that Hameed had earlier been arrested for his involvement in a carjacking case and was released on bail subsequently. The sources claimed that Hameed was believed to be an expert in bombing-making as stated by the arrested suspects during investigation. Police teams had been conducting raids at different places in the interior of Sindh, and in Balochistan as well, to arrest Hameed.

DIG Investigation Manzoor Mughal did not disclose the name of the prime suspect. However, he said, “We will soon go to the press with good news.”

Earlier, the police had claimed that Aziz was the only mastermind in the PIDC House bomb blast. Now the investigators are of the view that Aziz was not the sole mastermind but he and Hameed had plotted the terrorist activity jointly.