Hunt for white car

ISLAMABAD, June 15: Law enforcement agencies probing into the suicide attack on a private bank branch in the city are hunting for a white Toyota Corolla which had fled from the spot moments after the explosion, sources close to the investigation told Dawn.

They said the 1998 model car was caught in the CCTV footage with its driver reversing the vehicle in haste and then speeding away. The sources said it was suspected that the suicide bomber had come in the car.

Though there is no evidence of any interaction between the suicide bomber and the car but both had reached the spot at the same time.

The investigators have also obtained the registration number of the vehicle and are trying to trace its driver or the owner.

The sources said it was too early to determine whether the car had brought the suicide bomber to the spot or he was just a visitor and left the spot in panic after the blast.

The investigators have also collected the details of over a 100 taxi drivers who regularly moved around I-8 Markaz. They are being interrogated to get any information about the incident.— Staff Reporter

Bhatti case makes head way

ISLAMABAD, June 15: The investigators on Wednesday brought a man believed to be involved in the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti to Islamabad from Karachi for interrogation, sources told Dawn.

The sources said the suspect was picked up from Karachi and brought to Islamabad.

The sources said that the investigators of the case intercepted a phone call in which the man informed the other that he was behind the killing. Over the disclosure, a team was sent to Karachi which with the help of local police traced and.

The investigators are interrogating him to ascertain that he was actually behind the killing or not, like a Christian clergyman, affiliated with a local church in Karachi, who earlier informed an MPA of Punjab Assembly, through SMS that he was behind the assassination.

The clergyman told police that the minister was killed due to personal enmity and he also disclosed the identification of some people in Karachi behind the killing. However, it came to know that the clergyman was trying to settle his score with his rivals and deliberately involving some innocent people behind the killing. — Staff Reporter

Warehouse caught fire

ISLAMABAD, June 15: A warehouse of Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian organisation, caught fire on Wednesday due to short circuit and the medical stock, supposed to be distributed among the last year’s flood victims, was destroyed.

According to a statement issued by the humanitarian organisation, the medicines and medical equipment damaged in fire were part of the emergency stock which was to be distributed among the affected people of the last year’s devastating flood.

“We would replenish the emergency stock as soon as possible in order to help the flood victims in far-flung areas of the country including Balochistan and Fata,” the statement said.

It said that the medical activities of the organisation would continue uninterrupted and the flood victims would get treatment as usual.— Our Reporter

24 suspects, 3 outlaws arrested

ISLAMABAD, June 15: The capital police on Wednesday arrested 24 suspects during search operation conducted in different areas while three persons were also taken into custody after liquor, weapons and narcotics were seized from them.

A spokesman for the police said that the search operation was conducted in the areas of Shahzad Town, Industrial Area, Bhara Kahu, Tarnol, Sihala and Secretariat police stations on the direction of Senior Superintendent of Police Tahir Alam Khan. During the operation, the police searched residential areas, slums, under-construction buildings and green areas. Those who failed to produce their identification and relevant documents along with reasons behind their stay in the capital were taken into custody.

Meanwhile, the Kohsar police arrested a person and recovered 15 bottles of liquor from him. Likewise, the Sabzi Mandi police arrested two persons after the recovery of hashish weighing 1.2kg from them during search.

Separate cases were registered against the outlaws with the relevant police stations and investigations were underway. — Staff Reporter

Police solve robbery case

TAXILA, June 15: Police on Tuesday claimed they had solved biggest ever heist of the city in which ten robbers looted gold ornaments worth Rs22 million and arrested two of them.

Speaking at a press conference here at Taxila police station, sub-divisional police officer DSP Raja Taifoor Akhter said the robbers had looted a number of jewelry shops.

Replying to a question, he said that hunt was underway to arrest their accomplices.

Moreover, he said that police had also busted a three-member gang involved in robbery and theft cases not only in twin cities of Taxila and Wah Cantonment but also in different areas of Rawalpindi.

Those arrested were identified as Hayat Khan, Razzaq Shah and Sajid Zaman. — Correspondent