ISLAMABAD: The capital police took into custody owner of the vehicle used by terrorists in their attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, officials said on Wednesday.

The officials said the man had been under investigation to determine if he had any links with terrorists.

When contacted, Inspector General of Police Tahir Alam Khan confirmed that the suspect had been arrested and gave credit to Superintendent of Police (SP) retired Capt Mohammad Ilyas for the success.

According to the officials, intelligence agency personnel had given the vehicle’s registration number (NE-187) to Islamabad police and requested them to arrest the suspect.

With the help of records of the Excise and Taxation Office, SP Ilyas succeeded in identifying the vehicle’s owner and also traced his whereabouts to the capital’s G-7/3 sector.

With the help of records of the Excise and Taxation Office, SP Ilyas succeeds in identifying the vehicle’s owner and also traces his whereabouts to the capital’s G-7/3 sector

A raid was carried out in the sector which revealed that a relative of the suspect was residing there.

The relative later helped police arrest the suspect, the sources said.

Meanwhile, some sources said the suspect worked at a government department but police officials declined to confirm or deny this. Other sources said the suspect and his son ran a travel agency which had office on the University Road in Peshawar.

They said that during interrogation it was revealed that the vehicle was in the suspect’s possession for the last five years.

However, the suspect expressed ignorance about the vehicle’s use by the terrorists and said that one of his relatives had borrowed it from him.

Efforts are under way to verify the suspect’s claims, according to the sources. The information collected by police have been forwarded to the intelligence agency for further investigations.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2014