PESHAWAR: The police on Wednesday arrested 55 suspects in Yakatoot area here over the seminary bombing, which killed eight people and injured 120 on Tuesday.

A statement issued here said the arrests came during a major crackdown, which was launched by the Rapid Response Force, Ladies Police and Bomb Disposal Unit in Dir Colony, where the bomb blast had occurred, and adjoining areas.

It added that a special investigation team had been formed to interrogate suspects.

According to the statement, security of the city has been beefed up, while a security plan is being chalked out to ensure peace on Rabiul Awwal 12. The counter-terrorism department registered an FIR of the seminary bomb attack against unidentified militants.

Meanwhile, political and religious leaders visited the seminary to condole the bombing deaths.

Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq along with senior party leaders met administrator of the seminary Sheikh Rahimuddin Haqqani and offered condolences.

He said Oct 27 was the blackest day in the country’s history as a religious centre and attached mosque were targeted in an Islamic country.

Mr Siraj said the intelligence agencies had alerted the government about the possibility of such a terrorist attack but the latter didn’t take it seriously and therefore, many lives were lost.

He likened the seminary bombing with the Army Public School Peshawar attack and criticised the government’s representatives over ‘failure’ to visit the seminary for condolences.

The JI leader said terrorism was rearing its ugly head.

He wondered how terrorists attacked people in their homes despite the presence of intelligence agencies and checkposts in large numbers and border fencing.

Mr Siraj announced that his party would demonstrate against the seminary bombing and France’s blasphemous cartoons on Friday.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2020